Cascade Golfer April 2021

VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 1 • APRIL 2021 • COMPLIMENTARY

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PUETZ SHOWS OFF 2021’s BEST Why Golf is Booming Following Local PGA/LPGA Talent Radmor Golf is Saving The Earth Farewell To Our Editor N ORTHWE ST GO L F N EW S & VI E W S

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A LOOK

Features

Departments 4 PUBLISHER’S PITCH

31 RISK VS REWARD

6 SHORT GAME

• Passing of legend Bill Wright • Bill Parks is an Ace • CG Match Play 2021 • USGA Four-Ball at Chambers • Duke’s Seafood Youth Scholarship • CG Cup and Win Swag • New Players Card & Playbook • All New Gamble Sands Tourney

20 TEEING OFF

• Tony Dear Q&A with Sidney Rice

• Snohomish GC | Hole No. 7

SPECIAL FOCUS

35 • 2BAR Spirits Craft Distillers 41 • Suncadia Resort 58 SAVE SOME GREEN

• The Classic GC • Sudden Valley GC • Loomis Trail

62 POSTGAME

22 IN THE BAG

INSIDE

• Our Star Editor Brian Beaky Says Farewell

• New Electric Cart • 2021 Hot Irons & Metals • Rangefinders Ready to Buy

36 42 48 54

Golf Is Booming!

COVID-19 left golf in a bullish spot for 2021

The Grass Is Greener

Superintendents talk about 2021 news & views

Professional Profiles Follow these homies on the Tours

Sustainable Style

Radmor Golf saves planet with fashion statements

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 26 - 29

THIS PAGE The beautiful Eagles Pride GC (Red Course) 6th hole. Eagles Pride is one of four new courses on the 2021 Cascade Golfer Players Card. See page 14 for details.

ON THE COVER Suncadia Resort in Roslyn continues to blossom as one of the U.S.’s finest golf and lifestyle destinations. Read more on page 41.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNCADIA RESORT

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAGLES PRIDE

Win Free Golf and More!

We expect golf courses to be booming in 2021 and that includes offering up a few times on us. It is hard to beat a day on the links, unless of course it is free golf. Check out all these courses we are sending our readers to. Now go for it!

• Whidbey GC plus Swinomish Golf Links Twosomes • Page 12 • Highlander GC & Kahler Glen GC Twosomes • Page 39 Kahler Glen GC • Leavenworth

cascadegolfer.com

• The Classic & Sudden Valley Twosomes plus a NW Golfers Playbook • Page 58

And hey, don’t forget about last issue’s contests!

Congratulations to these lucky winners from the December issue of Cascade Golfer: Highlander G.C. Foursome & NW Golfers Playbook John Roben • Seattle Whidbey G.C. Foursome & NW Golfers Playbook Greg Nuzum • Blaine

APRIL 2021

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Volume 15 • Issue 1 • APRIL 2021

CASCADE

GOLFER cascadegolfer.com

Cascade Golfer is published and owned by Varsity Communications, Inc. It’s mailed via USPS to 50,000 homes and e-mailed to 100,000 golfers in Puget Sound.

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. varsitycommunications.com

EDITORIAL STAFF P U B LI S H E R S Dick Stephens & Kirk Tourtillotte E D I TO R Tony Dear ART D I R E C T I O N & G R A P H I C D E S I G N Robert Becker W R IT E R S Josh Kerns, Mike Kord, Bob Sherwin, Lily Stephens, Simon McMahon Stephens FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Dick Stephens • Publisher stephens@varsitycommunications.com FOR ACCOOUNTING INQUIRIES: Kirk Tourtillotte • Publisher kirk@varsitycommunications.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com COPYRIGHT 2021 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/ or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

A Future So Bright, He’s Gotta Wear Shades Take A Bow Brian Beaky – Top Man & Top Work

W

hen I first interviewed him in 2008, as soon as the meeting was over, I already knew he was the man for the job. Brian Beaky, pictured here as Cascade Golfer’s best example of avant-garde in a shot I squeezed off while he and I covered the U.S. Open together in 2015, shaped CG into what it is today.

His love of sports, golf and journalism is noteworthy — but his copyediting is on a freak level. I’ve edited and published 30-plus titles in 30 years and we’ve never seen anyone spot a dangling participle or a spilt infinitive from across the room like this guy. There’s an inside joke that became a running chuckle between he and I. When I presented Brian with his employment contract, I misspelled his name and typed BRAIN – not BRIAN. He gave it a quick editing mark and we both cracked up. It was actually foreshadowing, as he really was the BRAIN. He captained this magazine for 12 years and stepped into some great shoes left to be filled by a good friend and past editor Charles Beene. Brian ran with this title faster and further than I could have ever dreamed. This mag is our baby so it’s been closely watched the whole time he was at the editorial helm.

His voice, humor, fact-finding and desire to focus on the public golfer were his jam. The fan support we see for CG far surpasses anything we ever produced here at Varsity Communications. I give him the lion’s share of credit. And frankly, his words inspire and motivate golfers to golf.

He has the respect and love of EVERY single co-worker and client that he’s worked with. And, his industry respects him just as much. Because of Brian, this title has won a handful of Society of Professional Journalists Excellence Awards. He’s played real parts in every aspect of the sport in the Northwest and across the U.S. And, when he’s not editing this title and others, he was a masterful event manager at our golf expos coast-to-coast, culinary productions, CG Cups and the face of our company with the media. I love him and his family. And, I can say with a straight face that some of the most important moments I’ve spent on a golf course were with this guy.

He’s now a teacher – his life-long dream.

The impacts he’ll soon make on his students will ring on for generations. So, please, take a bow Brian and accept my most sincere thank you for your partnership, professionalism and stalwart attitude. See his farewell letter on page 62. We will miss you Beak — TAKE IT EASY.

All photos are courtesy of the course or individual unless otherwise noted.

PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE PROUD CHARTER MEMBER

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APRIL 2021

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME LOSING A LOCAL LEGEND: BILL WRIGHT Became A National Champion, Against All Odds

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n February 19, Cascade Golfer was saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Wright, the first African-American to win a USGA championship. He was 84. Born in Kansas City, Mo., Wright won the 1959 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Wellshire GC in Denver, while a student at Western Washington College of Education (now Western Washington University) in Bellingham.

After the family moved to Seattle, Wright’s family played regularly at West Seattle, Jefferson Park, and Jackson Park (where they reportedly were not permitted to join the men’s or women’s clubs because of their skin color). Wright, a graduate of Franklin High School, barely made it through USGA stroke play qualifying but ultimately beat Frank Campbell 3 & 2 in the final. Shortly after holing the winning putt, Wright took a phone call from a reporter who asked him how it felt to be the ‘first black to win a national tournament’. Wright slammed down the phone wanting only to talk about the quality of his play rather than his race.

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Having qualified for the U.S. Amateur, Wright travelled back to Colorado later that year where the country’s top unpaid players met at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Wright was shunned by his fellow competitors, but 69-year-old Chick Evans, winner of the 1916 and 1920 U.S. Amateur and 1916 U.S. Open, saw him practicing alone and invited him to join his four-ball alongside Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman.

Wright went out in the first round, but had proved he could play and it was no great surprise when he joined the PGA Tour briefly in the early 1970s having become a Class A PGA Professional.

He also owned several car dealerships in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles and would often rise at 4 a.m. to get 12 holes in at Brookside GC in Pasadena before heading to work. Wright remained active in golf into his 70s giving lessons at the Lakes at El Segundo GC. He remains one of just three black golfers to have won an individual USGA championship – the other two being Alton Duhon (U.S. Senior Amateur) and Tiger Woods

(U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open).

Among the seven student-athletes inducted into WWU’s first ever Hall of Fame class in 1968, Wright also became a member of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2013. “We have lost a hero,” Steve Card, athletic director at WWU, told the Seattle Times.

“But the advice and lessons Bill provided will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME At 86, Bill Parks Humbly Drains A Memorable Ace At Willows Run — His Second

“I hit the ball,” Parks says, “but God put it in the hole.”

E

ven at 86, Bill Parks still carries his clubs for 18 holes — every time he plays. The retired Boeing engineer enjoys the athletic aspects of the game, and in December celebrated a hole-in-one at the 118-yard 9th hole on the Coyote Creek course at Willows Run in Redmond.

“I hit the ball,” he says, “but God put it in the hole.” It was his second ace since taking up golf at the age of 60, by which time his original sport of choice — softball — had become too hard on a suspect shoulder. Parks heads to Coyote Creek once a week for a game with his buddies, one of whom — Sam Weirbach, emailed our magazine to tell us all about the memorable moment.

Parks selected his 7-iron for the tee shot and, with a touch of his signature draw, landed the ball a little short of the pin. He couldn’t see the ball rolling directly toward the hole, but knew something was up when the rest of the group began hooting and hollering.

“They were all jumping up and down,” Parks says. “It’s the only way I knew it went in.”

Parks says he is blessed with good health, but credits golf for keeping him fit and limber. His secret to enjoying the long walk, though, is to only carry ten clubs. “It helps to lighten the load a little at my age,” he laughs. “We wish we could be in Bill’s condition,” says Weirbach who, like all the other weekly competitors, uses a cart. Willows Run awarded Parks the flag, which he proudly displayed as we spoke.

Few of us are lucky enough to witness a hole-in-one, let alone make one. Parks is now aiming for his third.

— Lily Stephens, Special to CG

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APRIL 2021

It was his second ace since taking up golf at the age of 60

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Play The 2021 CG Match Play Championship — Elite Eight At Salish Cliffs

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ast year was supposed to mark the eighth playing of our Cascade Golfer Match Play tournament. But, with the shutdown, we were sadly forced to bag it. Don’t fret though — we’re anxious to restart and can’t wait to get our field of 64 set up.

The Elite Eight will once again play at Salish Cliffs in a two-day golf extravaganza to crown a champion. Will it be you?

Before we say “not so fast friends, you have to win three matches to get there” let us first ask you some questions. Do you like to play competitive golf? If yes, proceed. If not, you might think about trying it. Do you want a 2-for-1 at Salish Cliffs? Of course you do. Now that we have that squared away, let’s dial in the details.

cascadegolfer.com

• The cost to enter the tournament (and get the Salish Cliffs 2-for-1 — a $100 value) is only $85.

• Similar to the NCAA Tourney, you are seeded into a region.

• Your first match will be against someone near you with similar handicap.

• Yes, handicap. These are net matches, so all is fair no matter how good a stick you are…or aren’t.

• You and your opponent decide which course to play your match at and the tees you want to play from.

• Winner moves on. You play one match every four

weeks as you advance.

• Win a match and you win a prize. Keep winning and the prizes only get better, with Salish Cliffs awaiting anyone that can come out on top three straight times.

The real question is — do you consider yourself a chalky favorite, or are you more of a Cinderella story destined for the bright lights? Only one way to find out.

Enter at CGMatchPlay.com and let the fun begin.

Log on to CGMatchPlay.com to learn more and register, or email Cascade Golfer tournament coordinator Simon Dubiel at simon@cascadegolfer.com with questions.

APRIL 2021

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&

SHORT GAME

Q A

The crowds at the 2015 U.S. Open were among the largest ever.

With Chambers Bay GM Zac Keener On May’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship

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hambers Bay will once again be a host venue for a USGA national championship. As the host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open — and this year’s starting and ending tournament sites for our very own Cascade Golfer Cup – the world will once again focus on University Place when the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

Championship takes place May 22-26. The Home Course in DuPont, Wash., will serve as the stroke-play co-host for the event. Established in 2015, the “Four-Ball” as it is now known, is one of the newest USGA championships and replaces the now-retired U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, which was established in 1922.

Here, Chambers Bay General Manager ZAC KEENER highlights the event in this Q & A.

CG: How big a deal is it for Chambers to host this championship? What is the significance for those readers not familiar with it? How excited are you?

Cascade Golfer: What is the current status of USGA Four-Ball? What planning are you doing, and what planning can you do?

Zac Keener: We have begun preparing for a successful 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in late May. While there may be some limitations to the championship as we focus on the safety of the players and championship staff, we remain steadfast in our dedication to hosting another successful national championship at Chambers Bay.

ZK: We are elated to welcome the return of a USGA championship. This is a great accomplishment for Pierce County and just reward for its commitment to making significant improvements to the golf course. We couldn’t be more excited.

CG: How flexible are you in your planning and how quickly can you pivot as we get closer to the tournament?

ZK: It is essential that our plans include the ability to stay nimble with updates to regulations. Our team continues to monitor and communicate the safety plan with Pierce County, the USGA, and the local health department to determine what adaptations will be required.

CG: How challenging is it for you as the GM to put this together?

ZK: It is a challenge any GM would be eager to navigate. We will build upon the lessons from 2020 and use them to welcome back a USGA Championship to Chambers Bay.

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The signature hole with the Four-Ball trophy.

CG: What are the considerations/things you have to factor in to your planning given the ever-changing landscape?

Do you have multiple contingencies?

ZK: Contingencies have become a way of life. Still, we are crafting a plan that will stay true to the core of hosting a national championship while being prepared to adapt to necessary changes to ensure the safety of all of those involved.

CG: Are there lessons you can learn from Bandon Dunes after it hosted the U.S. Amateur last summer in the midst of Covid?

ZK: We have stayed close with the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort team through the KemperSports relationship and the challenges they overcame to host a successful U.S. Amateur Championship.

While current plans may not require the ‘bubble’ environment that was created for that event, we are in contact with local health departments to ensure we’re prepared to host a championship with heightened safety procedures.

For current information, Four-Ball event insights, a Chambers course layout and more, visit USGA.org under their championships section. You can also learn more at ChambersBayGolf.com The USGA will also be on the west coast in June for the U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco, June 3-6, and the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, June 17-20.

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Cascade Golfer Cup Is Back With Record Eight Events – 180 Prize Slots Region’s most popular amateur series begins April 17 at Chambers Bay

CG Cup heads to Port Ludlow June 26th

L

ast year was a lot of things. Most of which felt like an OB tee shot or skulled pitching wedge. For us at Cascade Golfer this included the Cascade Golfer Cup having to cancel our season opener at Chambers Bay. In fact, when the shutdown hit we really had no idea what the 2020 CG Cup would look like, if anything. We had to cancel our first three events but eventually, and fortunately for golfers, golf courses reopened and we were able to shuffle the cards a bit and produce five tournaments for our golf-crazed faithful, including adding Chambers Bay to the back end of our schedule in October. We had 100 players on the nose to wrap up our 2020 schedule.

However, we had to bail on our Season Points Championship, the first time ever we haven’t seen teams that play in several events jockeying for position as we enter the season finale. Well, we are back with full force in 2021 and may have even learned something from 2020. Ending the season at Chambers Bay in October sure is fun.

While we are stoked to say we are starting (April 17) and finishing (Oct. 9) our series at the 2015 U.S. Open venue of Chambers Bay, we are just as excited about the other six stops in between, in all making our eight event schedule our largest CG Cup season ever. Before we brag about the six tracks making up our May-Sept. stretch, we are also excited about bringing a few CG Cup format favorites

back out of retirement — Shamble and Scramble. These will accompany our usual best ball, Stableford and stroke play events.

After the opener, we are off to Washington National on May 8 for the Muckleshoot Casino Players Championship. This is our ninth consecutive year at Washington National. Then May 29 we take our 13th annual Cascade Golfer Challenge to the pristine Salish Cliffs for the season’s first Major before following that up with our first ever event at Port Ludlow June 26.

To kick off the back nine of our season the Home Course welcomes our second Major, the Michelob ULTRA Open on July 31 — followed by the Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse Aug 21. The Classic hosts our penultimate event, Sept. 18, before the season wraps up with our final Major, Oct. 9 back at Chambers Bay. We have prided ourselves over the years on playing our tournaments on some of the best courses that western Washington has to offer — and 2021 fits the bill.

Like always, all our tournaments are separate events with their own prize pool, including stay and play packages, twosomes and foursomes of golf and golf product.

However, for teams wanting to play in several events, our season standings will be back in 2021, looking to

crown a champion in both our gross and net divisions.

In fact we will prize out all teams finishing in the top 10 in the gross or net divisions at every event and on the season. In all, 180 spots are in the money, plus another 56 hole contests along the way including closest-to-thepin, straight drive and long drive.

With the demand for golf booming, add a little spice to your plate. The competition gets the blood pumping just enough, but the fun of the events, even on an off day, will keep you coming back. Sure, if you and your partner bring your “A” game you will be taking home some loot, maybe even a championship pin flag, but if not, you are playing a great track, on a Saturday, in a fun format with your golfing buddy. That sounds like a winner on its own. Oh, did we mention we feed you and give you free beer? Time to get inside the ropes. Anyone can play. Get an established handicap, a playing partner and a desire to have fun. We will see you on the fairway.

To learn more or to register, visit CascadeGolfer. com/Cup or email simon@cascadegolfer.com.

Whidbey Golf Club Plus Swinomish Golf Links Twosomes

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ooking for a sneaky fun 36-hole day? Well, here ya go. Enjoy Swinomish Golf Links, just east of Anacortes, in the morning then head over Deception Pass to the semi-private Whidbey Golf Club in Oak Harbor. Both courses are flat-out FUN with several excellent risk/reward holes. If that sounds like a sweet deal to you, then enter your name at CascadeGolfer.com, and you could walk away a winner!

Whidbey Golf & Country Club • Oak Harbor

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APRIL 2021

cascadegolfer.com

2021

Cascade Golfer Cup Great prizes at every tournament April 17 • 8 am • Season Opener at Chambers Bay May 8 • 7:30 am • Muckleshoot Casino Players Championship at Washington National

Net and Gross Divisions 2-Player Formats

May 29 • 11 am • Cascade Golfer Challenge at Salish Cliffs June 26 • 10 am • Best Ball at Port Ludlow July 31 • 7:30 am • Michelob ULTRA Open at The Home Course

“The most fun an amateur golfer can have playing tournament golf”

August 21 • 10 am • Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse Sept. 18 Oct. 9

• 9 am • Cascade

• 8 am • The

Golfer Invitational at The Classic

Fall Classic at Chambers Bay

Open to all golfers with a handicap

Get a partner and get inside the ropes!

To register or for more information visit

cascadegolfer.com Click on the Cup! WELCOMING

PRESENTING

Contact: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com (206) 778-7686

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cascadegolfer.com

A Dozen Sweet Rounds In New CG Players Card — About A Buck A Hole

C

oming off a year like no other, golf courses are once again preparing to be packed with golf fanatics, from ‘new to the game folks’ who carded their first round in 2020, to ‘weekend warriors’ who are working from home (and sneaking out for that twilight round), and everyone else in between. Just about every course will tell you that more golfers are playing golf, and golfers are playing more than ever.

For you, more golf means managing your golf budget, and the Cascade Golfer Players Card is here to help you do just that. Get your hands on one of our 2021 CG Player Cards and your green fees will be covered at 12 different Northwest courses, and for barely a buck a hole.

With the ninth version of our Players Card, we’re excited to bring back some of Washington’s very best courses, including Salish Cliffs and Apple Tree. A loop around either of these tracks is always a treat. It is easy to see why they are so often ranked in the top 10 public courses our state has to offer. Port Ludlow and Cedars at Dungeness are also back, making up a great 36-hole day if you choose to go for it, or a great overnighter for those looking to rest up between rounds. Both courses are a gas to play. We are super excited to take our CG Cup to Port Ludlow this summer, and the Seven Cedars Casino (home of the Cedars at Dungeness GC) opened its new $40 million, 100-room hotel just last August. Once again Highlander, Whidbey and Snoqualmie Falls are part of the festivities, bringing their own unique style and fun to the card. All are friendly off the tee with great risk/ reward options.

Just like the golfers walking on to the tee for the first time this past year, our 2021 Players Card has a few new faces as well. For the south-enders, we’re stoked to add High Cedars in Orting and Eagles Pride off I-5 at JBLM. You may not know it, but High Cedars hosts a Monday Qualifier for the Boeing Classic every year, while Eagles Pride is flat out one of the most underrated layouts in the state. For folks who live closer to the north-end and were bummed when Eaglemont closed last year, we welcome newcomer Sudden Valley — a hidden gem sitting off the shores of Lake Whatcom near Bellingham. Of course, for those making the trip over to Apple Tree or Highlander, we make those a 36-hole package, with rookie Kahler Glen joining the party off Highway 2 and Sun Country only a 7-iron off I-90, for those heading to Yakima.

In all, a dozen courses to itch that golf bug that has swept over the land, and at a fraction of the regular rate, plus $10 to spend at Puetz. That’s $800 in golf total, for just $250. Be warned though, we only have 220 cards, so don’t hit the snooze button, otherwise you’ll miss these tee times. Log on to CascadeGolfer.com and get your card today. We will see you on the first tee! cascadegolfer.com

Northwest Golfers Playbook Is Our Best Yet — $5,000 In Savings

A

ttention loyal readers. If you do not like saving money, you need to quit reading this right now.

Otherwise, you might end up with a wallet full of cash you weren’t expecting.

The 2021 Northwest Golfers Playbook is back, and in a big way. In the middle of a pandemic, with golf booming like we’ve never seen, the NWGPB is bigger and better than ever with more savings than we have ever seen.

It includes many of your local favorites, and maybe a few off the beaten path you really need to play.

How about those layouts you always see in Washington’s best course rankings? Chambers Bay? Check. Enjoy that at 4-for-3, saving you up to $200. Home Course?

Take a cart at no charge. Same with Gamble Sands. Salish Cliffs? White Horse? Apple Tree? Check, check and check.

They all have something for you. And, how about some of those hidden gems that don’t get talked about enough?

Port Ludlow? Get two rounds with a cart any day of the week for just $99 — $30 savings over the rack rate.

Eagles Pride? Get a foursome for $100 and save $40.

Avalon? Get $25 off your 18-hole green fee with unlimited free replays the same day.

Meadow Park has a 4-for-3 on the Championship course, and a 2-for-1 on the Williams nine-holer. Are all 10 of the Premier municipal courses in the book? Of course, and you’ll save $5 at each. The Nile? Foster? Camaloch? Yep. We are coming off a year with so many new players getting involved. Do you know someone who might benefit from professional instruction? You can save on golf lessons at multiple locations including Puetz, GolfTec, Pacific NW Golfer Center and Snohomish Valley Golf Center (SVGC).

And Puetz and SVGC have you covered on range balls, too.

Deals on golf gear, apparel and more? Puetz Golf includes $10 in Puetz Bucks with every Playbook in addition to their lesson, range and repair offers. Let’s be honest, we’re all going to spend $10 at Puetz.

If you live on the north-end we have a bunch of new additions for you to hit up. This includes Sudden Valley, Battle Creek, Gleneagle and even a 4-for-3 at the fantastic Loomis Trail near the border. It is such a great course, and the border closure has made it relatively easy to score a tee-time. Head to Homestead while you’re in the area and make it a 36-hole day.

What if I am going on vacation? Can the Playbook hook me up? Probably. Whether you’re headed to Lake Chelan, Tri-Cities, Suncadia, Olympic Peninsula, Bellingham, Portland, Hood River, Oregon Coast or Central Oregon, we have something for you.

With over 120 pages of nothing but golf deals, you simply need to use a coupon or two and you already in the black. The book is sold online for $39.95, however readers can use the code SAVEBIGONGOLF to shave $5 off that, making a good deal even better. Pick one up at NWGolfersPlaybook.com and don’t be afraid to tell someone at the course you appreciate them being in the Playbook when you make your next tee time. Until then, here’s to your handicap coming down and the sun shining soon and often. We are in the middle of golf hysteria — let’s keep it going. cascadegolfer.com

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SHOOTOUT AT

GAMBLE SANDS

Two Amazing Days of Golf at Gamble Sands Including an Evening on the New Quicksands Short Course

JOIN US JULY 17-18 BEST GOLF WEEKEND OF THE YEAR! CONTACT: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com • (206) 778-7686

REGISTER AT • cascadegolfer.com

Two-Person Best Ball Net and Gross Divisions SPONSORED BY

SHORT GAME Two-Day Corona Premier Shootout At Gamble Sands July 17-18 GOLF’S A BEACH: Play the New 14-hole Quicksands Course

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hose of you that have played Gamble Sands will be familiar with the feeling as you walk off the 18th green — joy from a closing birdie perhaps, and satisfaction at just having played one of the finest courses in our corner of the country.

Deep down, however, there might be a pang of disappointment mixed in. How can there not be — you are done with your round. It is over. When will get to play Gamble Sands again?

Well, despair not because we bring you the Corona Premier Shootout July 17-18, where your Saturday morning round is just the start of the fun. After a delicious lunch, head over to the all-new 14-hole, par 3 Quicksands Course. And after that, join us for an evening of shenanigans on the 100,000 sq. ft. Cascade Putting Course in front of the Inn at Gamble Sands. Enjoy a few Corona Premiers before dreaming of another glorious loop around the Sands Course on Sunday when you’ll hope-

fully be hitting the shots that push your team towards the top of the leaderboard.

When the David McLay Kidd-designed Sands Course opened in 2014, it quickly became one of the most enjoyable rounds our great state has to offer. That certainly hasn’t changed in the years since, and it might just claim the top spot. The Quicksands Course, built on what McLay-Kidd describes as ‘perhaps the best piece of terrain on the whole property’ will be a magnificent addition, featuring holes ranging from 70 to 160 yards in length.

Have fun playing shots you may never have played before as you wait to see how your morning score stacks up against the competition.

So mark off July 17-18 on your calendars. Two days of best-ball golf bliss and plenty of laughs at Gamble Sands.

Line up a partner and we’ll see you there.

To experience the best weekend of golf in 2021, go to CascadeGolfer.com.

ALL-NEW CORONA PREMIER SHOOTOUT AT GAMBLE SANDS July 17-18, Gamble Sands Two-person best ball Saturday & Sunday Net and gross divisions Prize pool daily & total 4 KP’s, Long Drive, Straight Drive daily Saturday Corona Premier Happy Hour at Quicksands/Cascade Putting Course YOUR $775 TEAM FEE INCLUDES Greens fees, cart, range & lunch Saturday & Sunday plus Saturday afternoon/evening round at Quicksands.

Go to CascadeGolfer.com to register

A Boeing Classic Gallery Still On Hold — Champions Tour Stop Set for August

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he Boeing Classic, grounded last year over concerns of the COVID-19 spread, is expected to return with a full field Aug. 20-22 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.

Whether there will be a full complement of fans to watch the event, however, is uncertain. Boeing officials are waiting for permission from PGA Champions Tour officials.

“The PGA has declared that no decision will be made (on fans) until May 1,” says Shelby Lanting, Special Events Manager for the Boeing Classic. “It’s still a waiting game between the PGA and local authorities. The decision could be up to local authorities (after May 1), or the PGA might not make a decision on fans until setting another date.’’

Much like national and local decisions over opening up businesses, schools and fan-attended events, it will depend on progress of the government/state’s efforts to control the pandemic.

“We’re in a holding pattern,’’ Lanting adds.

Champions Tour events did not permit, or severely cascadegolfer.com

limited, fans last season. The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in January was played without spectators. The Tour’s second event -- the Cologuard Classic (Feb. 26-28), also had limited fan attendance.

The PGA Tour canceled or postponed 11 events last summer before resuming the season in early August when the number of fans allowed on to the course was significantly limited. This year, February’s Waste Management Open allowed only 5,000 fans a day -- down from its past daily attendance of more than 100,000.

The 54-hole Boeing Classic, with a $2.1 million purse, will feature 78 players all aged 50 and over.

Last season, there were some high-profile players who turned 50 but were denied opportunities to play because of 15 canceled tournaments. Five major champions were among those who had become eligible: Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters champion; Ernie Els, a two-time U.S. Open champion (1994, ’97)

and winner of two British Opens (2002, 2012); Jim Furyk who triumphed at the 2003 U.S. Open; Mike Weir, 2003’s Masters champion; and Phil Mickelson, winner of three Masters (2004, ’06, ’10), a PGA Championship (2005), and the 2013 British Open at Muirfield.

Rookies on the horizon this season are: Rich Beem, the former PGA champion with Seattle ties; former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn; and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington who actually turns 50 nine days after the Boeing Classic, on Aug. 31.

As always, tournament officials hope Seattle-born Fred Couples will be in the field, but commitments are not expected until later this summer.

“This is our favorite time of year,’’ Lanting says. “We’re planning for the Boeing Classic, the promotions, the Boeing flyover, the Korean Air Pro-Am. But we want to make sure it’s safe to do that.’’

— Bob Sherwin APRIL 2021

17

P R ESENTED BY

Washington National Is a Golfer’s Full Meal Deal With a Taste For It All

PROPERTY

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ashington National is a treat to play. The course, unique with its beautiful white sand bunkering and huge wastelands, is a blend of challenge and opportunity, playable for all levels but penalizing enough to fill even a low handicapper’s scorecard with squares.

The Home of the Huskies, Washington National has a university theme, from the names of the tees to a golf cart for each of the Pac 12 schools. They have hosted several notable events, including the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, Men’s and Women’s NCAA West Regional, and the Husky Invitational.

Before you tee off, hit up the range down the hill behind the banquet facility.

And don’t be afraid to take a few swings out of the practice bunker while you are at it. After the round, the Varsity Grill is a great spot to quench your post-round thirst, with the patio overlooking the massive 18th green.

A Bucket with the GM • Rolly Leonard Toughest Tee Shot — 10th hole With the waste area crossing the fairway at 245 yards you have to lay back, forcing many of us to push it right — bringing OB into play with the cart path and a crowned strip of rough to kick it right. It’s a tough par 4.

Best Birdie Opportunity — 7th hole

A well-struck tee shot on this short par 4 can carry the water and kick onto the green. If short, a decent pitch can bring a birdie to this fairly flat green.

Best Par 3 — 6th hole

It has a two-tiered green with a finger to the back right that makes the tee shot very tough visually. Being on the correct level is mandatory to make a par, since judging the speed up or down the tier is difficult. It can be played from 110 yards all the way back to 200 yards. The back-right hole location is tempting, but the small bunker tucked on the right edge of the green makes it hard to carry your shot all the way there.

Favorite Hole — 17th hole

Hands down. Avoid the lake on the left and get there in two. The landing is 15 yards wide if you take it tight off the right edge of the lake. If you didn’t get all of your drive a split fairway lay-up option is best. If you’re a big hitter, go for it by flying the pond and creek protecting the green. The green is long and narrow, and slopes from left to right. More birdies happen by laying up and hitting a solid wedge than going for it in two.

Emergency Nine — front or back?

I would have to say the back. I think it has some great holes and a few more birdie opportunities.

Washington National Golf Club 14330 SE Husky Way, Auburn, WA 98092 (253) 333-5000 • washingtonnationalgolf.com.

Built in 2000 • Course Designer John Fought HOLE PAR Husky Senior Junior Sophomore Freshman Graduate

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1 5 560 526 518 483 442 518

2 4 465 432 420 383 327 383

APRIL 2021 2021 APRIL

3 4 372 346 330 304 256 330

4 5 641 606 557 513 467 516

5 3 185 161 150 138 130 150

6 4 473 431 414 379 262 379

Go to Lunch item on the menu — Cuban pulled pork.

Way better that a hot dog at the turn. It has pickles and jalapenos along with some garlic aioli on a toasted French roll.

7 4 320 299 286 266 232 299

8 3 204 178 169 141 122 169

9 4 431 406 394 361 304 361

10 4 453 412 380 348 330 348

11 3 178 144 140 135 119 144

12 4 433 401 390 296 272 390

13 4 396 366 358 321 278 366

14 5 635 606 576 526 483 526

15 4 342 326 313 273 240 313

16 3 198 178 146 104 94 146

17 5 543 529 488 445 411 529

18 TOTAL 4 72 475 7304 425 6772 391 6420 375 5794 348 5117 375 3137

MEN COURSE RATING WOMEN RATING SLOPE TEES RATING SLOPE 75.3 145 Husky 72.6 141 Senior 71.0 132 Junior 77.1 142 68.6 118 Sophomore 73.6 135 61.9 110 Freshman 69.5 122 70.3 131 Graduate 75.8 139

cascadegolfer.com

TEEING OFF

PRESENTED BY

18 Holes With No. 18 — Sidney Rice Finds Golf Suits Him To A Tee

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A CONVERSATION WITH TONY DEAR • SPECIAL TO CG Photo courtesy of Rod Mar/Seattle Seahawks

he story of how I got there is a long one and perhaps best told another time, but basically I stood in Sidney Rice’s basement watching him hit balls into a simulator that’s hooked up to a Trackman giving him the specifics – spin rate, club head speed, ball speed, angle of attack, smash factor, carry distance, etc., of every shot he hits. It’s an impressive set-up.

This is my first time in a Super Bowl champion’s house, and it’s a strange feeling. Had I grown up a Seahawks fan, I’m sure I’d be having trouble breathing let alone speaking with the man. But I’m English so grew up with an entirely different version of football.

I’ve been here long enough to know who Sidney Rice is though and, as a general sports fan, am well aware of what he has accomplished and his level of athleticism.

So it’s no great surprise to pick up his 8-iron and feel just

how heavy it is versus the clubs I’m used to.

Rice was born in September 1986 in Gaffney, S.C., about an hour west of Charlotte, N.C. and 150 miles north of Augusta, Ga. A natural athlete, he played both basketball and football for the Gaffney High School Indians breaking all sorts of school records. Highly sought after by a number of top football programs, Rice signed for the University of South Carolina, and again broke a number of records scoring 23 touchdowns in just two years with the Gamecocks.

Drafted in 2007 by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (44th pick overall), Rice formed a potent partnership with quarterback Brett Favre, especially in 2009 when he was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Rice joined the Seahawks in 2011, and over the course of the next three seasons made 97 receptions and

scored 13 touchdowns. A dominant 2012-13 season saw him start all 16 games and make perhaps his two most memorable receptions for the Seahawks, first against the New England Patriots at home where he caught Russell Wilson’s 46-yard pass for a game-winning touchdown, then two months later when he held on to another Wilson lob to clinch an overtime win against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Sadly, Rice tore an ACL in a game against the then St. Louis Rams in October 2013 (Week 8) ruling him out for the rest of the season and causing him to miss Super Bowl XLVIII. He announced his retirement from pro football in July 2014 at the age of just 27, citing multiple concussions as the reason for his decision.

Clearly he needed a new challenge, even harder than the last, because he took up golf!

What have you been up to since retiring from football?

“When I first retired, I spent a few years traveling the world. Currently enjoying entrepreneurship and investing. And obviously golf.”

The Seahawks were pretty good this season, but obviously didn’t win the Super Bowl. What were they missing?

“I would say the main things they are missing are an offensive line. There are some pieces there that could work but need to be more consistent in protecting Russ and working together while not moving people around on the line. The other thing would be a couple of solid edge rushers.”

Do you have a regular foursome?

“Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a great group of friends that love golf just as much as I do and, between all of them, it’s pretty easy to find a foursome amongst us.”

Has ‘Super Bowl Champion’ got boring yet?

Will it ever?

“No, it hasn’t and I don’t think it ever will.”

Do you still get recognized everywhere you go?

“Surprisingly, I do get recognized quite a bit.

Especially here in the Seattle area. Makes sense though because they have some of the best sports fans in the world here.”

How much do you still follow football, and the Seahawks? Who are you still in touch with?

“I still enjoy watching football on Sundays. Of course I’m going to follow the Seahawks and the Vikings. There are not many players that are still on the team from when I played but I do keep in touch with some of the players. Bobby Wagner is like my Little Big Brother.”

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APRIL 2021

Okay golf; when did you first play?

“I think the first time I attempted to play golf was in a charity tournament about five years ago.”

What do you like about the game?

“I find golf to be very relaxing and stressful at the same time. I think it has given me my competitive edge back as well.”

Where do you play, and how often?

“I am a member at Aldarra Golf Club and I play as much as I can. Anywhere from one to five times a week depending on the weather.”

What are you good and bad at?

“I would say I’m good at hitting the ball far and I’m getting decent with my wedges. My accuracy and consistency shows up on the card quite often.”

We met at Gamble Sands. What do you think of the place?

“I think Gamble Sands is amazing. What a beautiful track, wide open and hard to lose your ball. I also shot my lowest score at the time there — an 84.”

We played at the new Sand Point in October.

What did you like about that course?

“I think Sand Point is wonderful as well. It gets tricky if you haven’t played there before. You could end up on the wrong tee box. The views are amazing and the course is obviously maintained very well.” cascadegolfer.com

Moscrip Family And Duke’s To Award Three $500 Scholarships in 2021

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t the 1991 Junior America’s Cup played at Carlton Oaks GC in Santee, Calif, a 16-year-old John Moscrip from Seattle was paired with a 15-year-old Californian who was beginning to make a bit of a name for himself.

Tiger Woods had won the first of his three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles the week before at Bay Hill in Florida.

Moscrip, now 46, says his memory of the round is hazy, but he does remember coming to the 18th green with a chance to outscore his opponent. “If I holed my short par putt, I’d beat him by one,” he says. “But I missed horribly, and we both ended up shooting 74 I think.” So while he never beat Woods, Moscrip does enjoy telling the story of how Woods tied him. “That’s how I remember it anyway,” he laughs. “I didn’t tie him, he tied me.”

Moscrip played the mini-tours for a couple of years after earning a Business-Marketing degree at UW. “I don’t think I was ever quite good enough,” he says. “I didn’t have the burning desire to be the best in the world which you certainly need and, to be honest, I’d always dreamt of wearing big-boy clothes and going to work.”

He got into a conversation with his restaurateur father about opening up a QSR (quick service) outlet for Duke’s Seafood and calling it ‘Duke’s Chowder Bar’. It thrived in downtown Seattle for several years and proved very popular.

Moscrip had inadvertently transitioned into the restaurant business — “never my intention,” he says -- and soon found himself the General Manager of Duke’s Seafood’s Lake Union location. Now, 15 or so years later, he is the company’s Chief Operating Officer and a partner in the business his father had set about building in 1972 when he invested in Ray’s Boathouse in Ballard. Duke’s now has seven locations in the Puget Sound area, and certainly didn’t survive the horrors of 2020 unscathed, but is in a good position heading into 2021. “It was obviously a tough year for the restaurant industry,” says Moscrip. “We’re still not out of the woods by any means, but we’ve learned to adapt with pickup, delivery, and make-at-home meal kit options. And the Governor has moved restaurants from Phase One to Phase Two, which means we’re able to have 25 percent capacity indoor dining. So we’re definitely on the way back, and business has started to pick up.”

Also back is the Duke’s Seafood Junior Golf Scholarship. Despite last year’s struggle, Duke’s, which first got the idea for the award in late 2015, never stopped paying out, taking the total awarded to aspiring professionals, superintendents, caddies, general managers, and course architects to over $20,000.

Moscrip, who won a two-man event at Chambers Bay in January shooting a better-ball 8-under 64 with partner John Phipps, plays off +1 at Snoqualmie Ridge and says there is no stipulation on what the $500 award is used for. “If the winner needs gas money to get to his or her next event, wants a new driver or putter, or decides to subscribe to golf publications or add to their golf book library, that’s fine with us. Use it for whatever’s needed.”

If you want to be considered for the scholarship, email stephens@varsitycommunications.com with a letter and resume of inquiry.

1

IN THE

BAG PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR — CG EDITOR

2021 Innovations Shining Through

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he PGA Merchandise Show had to go digital this year. A virtual show was never going to create the same level of excitement as the actual show at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center does every year, but it was exceptionally well-organized and ran as smoothly as can be expected with several thousand exhibitors, PGA professionals, media, and other industry personnel cramming the show’s bandwidth simultaneously.

And if there’s one thing Cascade Golfer learned through attending various product showcases, seminars, and meetings it’s that the golf industry juggernaut — worth about $7 billion dollars every year — is a very powerful machine that takes a lot of stopping.

Admittedly, it slowed significantly in the first quarter of 2020 when the wire fell more or less silent, but it roared back with a vengeance in the summer eventually returning to full production, with factories (well, they’re more plants these days) churning out balls, clubs, and everything else a golfer needs in record numbers.

So what might have been a very sorry-looking ‘In the Bag’ therefore sparkles with the same innovation, tech wizardry, variety, and just plain WOWness we’ve become accustomed to.

Prices listed here are subject to change.

Visit PuetzGolf.com or visit the store for current specials and prices.

22

APRIL 2021

MGI

ZIP Navigator Electric Cart 1 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$1494.99

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merica took a long time to embrace pushcarts.

Actually, it really hasn’t ‘embraced’ push-carts as other golf nations have, but the more college events we see on Golf Channel with competitors pushing their clubs around, the quicker the nation will learn to appreciate them. And once manual pushcarts are embedded in the golf culture, we can start on powered walking-carts (aka ‘electric buggies’ or ‘electric caddies’).

Pushcarts with re-chargeable batteries have been popular in the UK, Canada, and Australia for over 30 years.

They allow golfers to get their exercise by walking the course without having to heft a bag. It’s unlikely we’ll see a spry college athlete using one anytime soon, but

they are becoming increasingly popular with American golfers of a certain age who still want to walk but not carry. MGI has a long history of making powered walking-carts, the company being founded in Queensland, Australia in 1993. It sold its first electric caddie in the U.S. in 2006 and made its debut at the PGA Merchandise Show in 2014. The first Zip Navigator appeared in 2017 and was widely considered a game-changer in the industry. It weighs just 29.6 pounds — 25 percent less than previous electric caddies, and can be folded and stowed with the battery on. It’s a remarkably quick and simple procedure. Besides that, the list of features is pretty lengthy:

FABULOUS FEATURES • Patented gyroscope straight-tracker technology keeps caddie straight

• USB charging port

• Downhill speed control

• Battery seamlessly-built into frame

• Powerful 230W dual motor

• Off-power free-wheel mode

• Powered by largest capacity 24v 380Wh (36 Hole) Li Ion battery

• Compatible with MGI’s BAGLINK Golf Bag Technology

• Swiveling, inverted front wheel design

• Display with speed setting, battery level, and distance

• Fully-foldable rear 4th anti-tip wheel for added stability • GPS/smartphone holder and remotecontrol holder

• Smart charger allows you to leave charger on

• Manufacturer’s warranty with less than 1% issue-rate within the warranty period • Service center located in the U.S.

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) cascadegolfer.com 362-2441

2 PERFECT PRACTICE

Putting Systems

2

4

3 COBRA

Rad Speed

TAYLORMADE 3

Standard (9’) $169.99 Compact (8’) $139.99 XL (15’) $199.99

Driver $449.99 Fairway-metals $279.99 Hybrids $229.99 Irons starting at $129.99 per club

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PUETZ GOLF PRICE

o to the manufacturer’s web site and check out the number of Major champions and PGA/LPGA players endorsing this product. Heck there’s even a Hall of Famer. There’s something to be said for 10 elite players talking up a product without being paid to do so. They might not have had to pay for their Perfect Practice Putting Mat, but still they could have just thrown it in the trash and never said a word about it. We featured the Perfect Putting Mat in the December issue and heard from a number of readers who have found it to be not only a highly effective practice aid, but also a welcome indoor activity for those work-athome days. The first thing that gets your attention is how well the ball rolls — actually, you do of course see the ‘train-track’ alignment lines first, but they’re not uncommon on putting mats. A lot of mats have somewhat suspect surfaces and don’t really reflect the roll you might expect at your home course. The Perfect Practice Putting Mat is made with an innovative Crystal Velvet material that performs much like real turf — as close to turf as any mat we’ve tried — and rolls at the equivalent of 10-14 feet on a Stimpmeter depending on the underlying surface. There are two holes to aim for — one regulation-size, the other 50 percent smaller (only the smaller hole on the compact mat), and the ball returns automatically — via the side rail if you hole it, down the slope if not. The mat weighs 7.5 pounds and the natural wood frame gives it an elegant look.

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

he assumption is that ‘Rad’ is short for ‘radical’ — as in ‘wow, radical speed, man’. And while Cobra says some ‘radical engineering’ did indeed go into the development of the Rad family of clubs, it’s actually an abbreviated version of ‘radial’ — as in pertaining to the distance from the center to the perimeter. With the driver and other metal-woods, it’s used to signify the system of weighting inside the clubhead which is designed to create ultra-low spin and a high Moment of Inertia (MOI) at the same time. In the driver, 28 grams is positioned as far forward as possible while a 10 gram weight is added to the back to make the club more forgiving. This re-positioned weight is made possible by a thin, lightweight carbon-fiber crown and a chassis that is 7 grams lighter than that of previous Cobra drivers. In the fairway-metals 16 grams are positioned near the front of the clubhead while there’s an extra 7 grams in the back, and in the hybrid, there’s 12 grams at the front, and 7 grams in the back. While the weighing system is certainly innovative, it’s not new for weight to be repositioned in a clubhead to effect performance. Where the real tech is happening in the RAD family perhaps, is in the irons which feature a lightweight, 3D-printed medallion in the back cavity that not only allows Cobra engineers to reposition weight in the heel (3 grams) and toe (10 grams) but also manipulate sound and feel. Also check out the Rad Speed XB Driver with an extra 20 grams in the back for extra forgiveness and maximum stability, the draw-bias XD version, other models of the fairway-metals (Tour and Draw), and Cobra’s famous one-length irons.

cascadegolfer.com FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • exceptions apply

SIM2 Drivers 4 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$529.99

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n the never-ending drive for innovation and a new tech story to get behind, TaylorMade introduced the original and innovative-looking SIM (Shape In Motion) driver at the start of last year, claiming its aerodynamic capabilities allowed golfers to generate great clubhead speed. There were other features, of course, like the backweight which increased the club’s MOI, but the shape was probably the feature that caught people’s attention. Following up just a year later, the SIM2 looks similarly distinct, but the modifications and upgrades are significant. You may have seen a video on TaylorMade’s web site in which staffers Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff, and Dustin Johnson, try piecing together various components — rear weight, carbon sole, carbon crown, milled titanium face, and the all-important Forged Aluminum Ring — to form the SIM2 driverhead. Probably the biggest task for clubmakers (especially driver-makers) today is reducing weight in various parts of the clubhead in order to build up weight back in the sole which lowers the club’s Center of Gravity (CG) and increases the club’s MOI, making it easy to get the ball airborne, increasing forgiveness, and boosting carry distance. The absence of any welding frees up a few grams of weight which is a big deal in the driver industry these days. The saved weight goes into that rear weight, or ‘Inertia Generator’ as TaylorMade calls it, and a front weight that keeps spin down which prevents your ball from ballooning high into the air. The SIM2 Max has a 24 gram weight to increase forgiveness.

APRIL 2021 2021 APRIL

23

IN THE BAG

6

5 CALLAWAY

Epic Speed Drivers

CALLAWAY 5

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Apex ’21 irons

JCR 6

Golf Bags 7 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Speed, Max, Max LS $529.99

Std., Pro, DCB, starting at $184.99 per club

CL450 $114.99 DL550 $159.99 TL650C $169.99

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ajor advances are rare these days. The governing bodies limit performance and the genius manufacturers have probed every corner of possibility in the search for extra distance and control. That’s certainly not to say this year’s models can’t be improved upon, just that whatever improvements we do see are relatively small (the accumulation of improvements does mean that a brand new driver is noticeably better than something even a few years old). So it was with some excitement that golfers learned of Callaway’s new ‘Jailbreak’ technology in 2017. The main feature of a new line of drivers named ‘Epic’, Jailbreak was composed of two, 3 gram titanium bars that connected the crown of the driver to the sole. Firming up this connection helped release more energy into the ball, increasing ballspeeds.

For 2021, the Jailbreak bars have been updated using Artificial Intelligence in an effort to improve horizontal and torsional stability. Artificial Intelligence, now being used by multiple OEMs, enables manufacturers to run an extremely high number of simulations very quickly to conclude which design performs best. The back of the titanium Flash Face SS21 has been uniquely shaped (an odd-looking series of grooves and ridges) by AI to create a face that maximizes ballspeed no matter where contact is made. An aerodynamic head shape enables the golfer to create greater clubhead speed and the light carbon crown allows Callaway to push weight down nearer the rear of the sole, which makes the club more forgiving and increases carry distance.

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APRIL 2021 2021 APRIL

7

ans of the old Ben Hogan Apex irons (I still have a set knocking about somewhere) have now come to terms with the fact Callaway ‘stole’ the name when it purchased the Ben Hogan brand in 2003 and slapped it on its own products (Callaway offloaded Hogan in 2012 but retained the rights to Apex). To be fair, Callaway has released a number of exceptional Apex irons since releasing its first in 2013. The 2021 versions are the first forged versions built using Callaway’s AI supercomputers which ensure greater ballspeeds no matter where on the face you make contact.

A large Tungsten Energy Core, which harbors five times the amount of tungsten as the 2019 version, lowers the club’s CG which helps you get the ball up quickly. Callaway’s familiar microspheres enhance feel and sound, and the forged 1025 soft carbon-steel body gives you the sort of sensation at impact you remember for a while. With a shorter blade length, thinner top-line, and less offset, the Apex 21 Pro has a more sophisticated look that will appeal to better players. It also has a hollow body that means more face-flex at impact and thus greater ballspeeds. The Apex 21 DCB (Deep Cavity Back) is for golfers who admire the look and feel of Apex irons (and who secretly want to be an ‘Apex player’) but who need a little extra help keeping the ball in the air and on-line. The face is AI-enabled, and the Tungsten Energy Core is present. The differences between this and the standard Apex 21 are the sole (wider), top-line (wider), offset (more), Center of Gravity (lower) and lofts (stronger).

an Langner wasn’t terribly impressed with modern golf bags so, in 2010, the longtime golf industry employee with stints at MacGregor Golf, Under Armour, TaylorMade, Gear for Sports, and Slazenger decided to create his own. The company he founded – JCR, included the first initials of his three sons - Jack, Corey, and Ryan. The company’s logo, meanwhile, was inspired by the building blocks Langner’s kids played with in their early years, and was the motivation behind its motto ‘Building Blocks to Peak Performance’. The CL450 has an 8.5-inch top with six-way air mesh, cushioned, full-length divider. There are six pockets including a Velour-lined valuables pouch and Smart Phone pocket with clear window. The legs are made of robust aluminum, there’s a front-lift handle, and a dual strap, and sleeves for a water bottle, marker pen, and scorecard.

It weighs slightly less than 5 pounds. The DL550s is described as the ‘backpack for golf’, and made with 100 percent Dobby Nylon. It has 10 pockets, and the same robust aluminum leg stand as the CL450. There are front and bottom handles, six waterproof zippers, zip off bottom side and ball pockets, and an internal neoprene ball pouch that holds three balls. It has a six-way air mesh cushioned full-length divider top, and weighs 5.8 pounds. The TL650C is a lightweight but durable cart bag with 13 pockets and a 14-way divider top with dual lift handles and front-position putter well.

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) cascadegolfer.com 362-2441

IN THE BAG

9

8

7 GARMIN

Approch Rangefinders 8 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

G80 GPS $399.99 S62 GPS $499.99 Z82 GPS $599.99 S40 GPS $299.99 NOW $199.99

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armin, a $3 billion company founded in Kansas in 1989, makes GPS devices for the automotive, aviation, marine, and outdoors industries as well as for various sports where distance-gauging is key. Many of its products are wearable meaning it competes with developers such as Fitbit and Apple. Among its most popular products are GPS watches and handheld devices that use satellites to provide distances to the front middle and back of the green, but it has also become one of the world’s foremost makers of laser rangefinders alongside Bushnell, TecTecTec, Voice Caddie, Precision Pro, Nikon, and Leupold. The Approach G80 is a handheld GPS device with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display.

It comes pre-loaded with over 41,000 golf courses, and features ‘PlaysLike Distance’ which accounts for uphill and downhill slopes. It also includes a launch monitor which displays your clubhead speed, ball speed, smash factor, tempo, and estimated carry distance. Pair it with the Garmin Golf app to compete, compare, and connect with fellow golfers worldwide. The S40 is a watch with a 1.2-inch easy-to-read touchscreen. Pair it with your phone to receive emails and texts, and pair it with the Garmin Golf App to obtain strokes gained analysis, and participate in leaderboards and tournaments. The S62 has a customizable face and 1.3-inch touchscreen. Virtual Caddie gives you your distance after factoring in wind speed and direction and suggests a club based on your prior performance. Several other features make the S62 the top-of-the-line GPS watch. The Z82 laser rangefinder gives you incredibly accurate distances to the flag with a combination of laser and GPS. Laser allows you to lock in the flag while you get distances to the back, middle, and front of the green on blind shots with GPS — you also get the direction to the flag with the PinPointer feature. Wind and slope features can be turned off for tournament play.

cascadegolfer.com FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • exceptions apply

DATREK

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Golf Bags 9

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Go Lite Hybrid Stand bag $169.99 DG Lite II Cart bag $159.99

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art of the Dynamic Brands family, Datrek has been making quality golf bags since 1979. The DG Lite II Cart Bag is available in nine color options and weighs in at an incredible 4.2 pounds. It has a 14-way organizer top with full-length individual dividers, and soft-grip lift assist handles integrated into the bag top. Patented TOPLOK Technology makes getting the bag from your car to its attached position on the cart extremely easy. There are seven pockets including a fleece-lined valuable pocket and two full-size garment pockets. The Go Lite Hybrid Stand Bag weighs 5.2 pounds, and is available in eight different color options. The 14-way club organizer features rubberized driver and putter wells. There are six pockets and TOP-LOK Technology facilitates getting the bag into position on a cart should you choose to drive.

TAYLORMADE

P770 Irons 10

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

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n incredibly good-looking sibling of the best-selling P790 Iron, the P770 is a compact player’s iron with a relatively thin top-line, little offset and shorter blade length. The soft carbon-steel, mostly-hollow body surrounds a forged 4140 steel face, and is home to 46 grams of tungsten which lower the CG increasing the club’s MOI. An ultra-light urethane foam called SpeedFoam is injected inside the head to improve sound and feel, and a flexible Thru-Slot Speed Pocket maximizes ballspeed and helps improve forgiveness on contact made low on the face. Each iron has a uniquely-designed Inverted Cone face to ensure optimal ballspeed on off-center strikes.

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RISK vs. REWARD Snohomish Golf Course

Hole No. 7 Par 5 455 yards (White Tees)

By Simon Dubiel

The Setup

Snohomish Golf Course

The 7th at Snohomish is one of the most gettable par fives around. The drive is blind and falls downhill, offering a few extra yards for those who find the short grass and have a little thunder in their stick. The trees on the left come into play as does OB right, especially as the fairway slopes in that direction. A deep bunker sits on the front right edge of the large green.

The Reward

The Risk

Final Call

If you have piped your drive, you will be in ‘go’ range. Just be aware of that bunker right as well as some nasty rough. If you love those uphill 40 yard pitches out of the thick stuff, or those bunker shots where you are below the green, then disregard. However, if you are like everyone else, don’t miss short and right!

You just came off the toughest stretch on the front, so this hole provides some welcome relief. Rip the big dog off the tee, and let’s go hunting. Grab that trusty hybrid, and take dead aim. The birds are calling, maybe even a big bird. Giddyup!

From 180-225, most golfers are licking their lips for a chance to put a circle on the scorecard. This is your best crack at doing so on the front nine; it just takes a decent poke and well-struck second. The green is large, so get yourself on the dance floor with a putt for a three.

PRESENTED BY

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Aiming Oil Seattle’s 2BAR Spirits One Of America’s Fastest Growing Craft Whiskey Distillers

BY SIMON MCMAHON STEPHENS • SPECIAL TO CG

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uality, independence, and hard work — three ideals that have driven one man to produce great spirits with a family history.

Bourbon doesn’t necessarily scream Pacific Northwest, instead conjuring up images of a something a bit more southern, but Nathan Kaiser changed that. Born in Texas and raised on the family-owned 2BAR Ranch, Kaiser took not only the name 2BAR but also the instilled his Texas roots, pride and work ethic instilled in him as a boy in his growing distillery in Seattle.

2BAR Sprits was officially founded in 2010 and opened its doors to the public in October 2012. Apart from Kaiser, 2BAR has only one other employee (excluding the canine VP of Corporate Morale), head

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distiller Maddie Kelly – who’s made a name for herself in the trade. The small team that 2BAR boasts is an example of their commitment to a handcrafted grain to glass experience, commitment that has made them the largest privately owned craft distillery in Seattle. And they are growing at a pace as their whiskies are literally selling faster than they can restock in many places.

2BAR’s main spirit is their Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The liquor is made grain to glass with 100 percent locally sourced Northwest grains. At 100 proof it has subtle notes of butterscotch, vanilla, honey, dark chocolate, and cherry. They have grown in popularity during the pandemic as all of their products have sold well in quarantine, with 2BAR mashing more than 20,000

pounds of grain per month with the expectation that they will fill 145 full size distilling barrels with just their flagship bourbon this year alone.

Another of 2BAR spirit is their newly released Straight Bourbon Whiskey. A full flavored whiskey at 80 proof it sips super smooth.

Kaiser is a steward and leader in the Washington Distillers Guild and puts his state and the Seattle spirit scene always in foreground. He and head distiller Kelly no doubt will continue producing locally sourced spirits with quality, independence and hard work that he learned from his upbringing for years to come. You can buy and find where to get a bottle or case of all their spirits at 2BARspirits.com. Cheers!

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GOLF IS

BOOM ING!

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BY TONY DEAR • SPECIAL TO CG

oy, was 2020 an up and down year for golf — well, down and up, really. In Washington, because of the way the sterling industry dealt with the challenges Covid bought, it ended the year on a record high. And it aims to repeat that success in 2021.

Puetz Golf’s General Manager Mike Livingston agrees the company’s present predicament is a ‘good problem to have’. Like so many golf retailers around the country, Puetz has been struggling to keep up with requests for drivers, irons, wedges, putters, balls, shirts, bags, shoes, gloves — you name it. That sounds less than ideal, of course, but it comes as a result of a demand for golf equipment that, frankly, is out of control.

“Orders for package starter sets – wood/irons/putter/bag – are up something like 300 percent,” says Livingston.

“But really, every category is seeing record numbers.” That’s music to any manager’s ears, but vendors had a tough time in the second and third quarters of 2020 when demand far outstripped supply. China, where so much golf equipment is made, saw greatly reduced output from factories and foundries in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid. But it meant orders going unfilled or arriving very slowly.

Chinese industry has become a well-oiled machine, however and, as Bloomberg News reported in January, once

the country had better control of the virus, its economy roared back to pre-pandemic growth rates in the fourth quarter “as its industrial engines fired up to meet surging demand for exports”. Livingston, Puetz’s GM for 31 years, is therefore fired up for 2021. “My confidence is sky-high,” he says.

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The sport has surged

— INDUSTRY LEADERS WEIGH IN ON PERFORMANCE AND 2021

The Home Course

Courses like the Home Course (above), Chambers Bay (middle) and Druids Glen (below) all saw record rounds of golf played in 2020 with very little discounting needed to attract play.

And, because of safe social distancing, golf saw 20 percent increases in overall participation.

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e’s not alone. Every single person we spoke to about where they had been in 2020 and where they saw golf going in 2021 was wildly optimistic: general managers at golf courses and resorts, head professionals, directors of golf, directors of instruction, course architects, retailers, beverage cart operators…everyone.

Even magazine publishers. As early as March of last year, our very own Dick Stephens realized the writing was on the wall for the publication he’d created more than a dozen years before. “The print version was completely done very early in the pandemic,” he says. “The March issue would have been profitable, but we had to pull it off the press because many advertisers were scared they couldn’t pay their bills due to the uncertainty of what was ahead for them and golf.”

Cascade Golfer was forced to go digital. “The online publication was us standing by our clients and our clients standing by us,” said Stephens. “We played to the strength of an amazing following that’s been built up since we first launched. And we knew we could eventually bring the print version back once all our anchor clients wanted to rejoin the effort. They’re more like family than anything else.”

The pandemic, Stephens continues, has done something golf’s marketers and governing bodies have been largely unable to do -- grow the game substantially. “I do believe it will settle back down eventually,” he concedes, “but I’m very bullish about 2021 as is most of the golf industry.”

Similarly sanguine about the year ahead is Chambers Bay’s General Manager Zac Keener who reports some impressive numbers from the 2015 U.S. Open venue despite the onset of complications related to Covid early in 2020. “Compared with the similar time period in 2019, our round numbers were up 25 percent from July to December,” he says. “And, thanks to Director of Instruction Ryan Young’s ability to adapt to the situation, our instructional revenue was up 69 percent.”

Keener is determined to prevent these numbers from being a conspicuous blip on the graph. “The influx of new players needs to be thought about more dynamically than we have looked at new player engagement in the past,” he says. “We’re thinking about why the new golfers we saw last year hadn’t been engaged before. The result of the conversation will be programming that focuses on family golf, social golf, and the time it takes to play.”

Keener acknowledges a certain amount of attrition is inevitable when other options return, but believes golf, and Chambers Bay specifically, can retain players by offering something other than the traditional 18-hole, four/five-hour round. “It simply takes too long to play 18,” he says, “so we could fail to capture the attention of the world as it returns to something like normal speed. Offering different routings during off-peak times or programs focused on shorter time commitments can help as we compete for social time. I’m confident that if we listen and develop programs players want, they will come back to Chambers Bay again and again.”

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Chambers Bay

Druids Glen

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Wine Valley

Destination courses like Wine Valley (above) and Suncadia (below) saw not only local play increase but also larger regional travel interest from around the Northwest.

Suncadia

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Michael Jones, Director of Golf at Suncadia Resort where rounds and revenue actually ended 30 percent up compared with 2019, is likewise ebullient. One of a handful of employees kept on during the lockdown to help maintain the courses in good shape for when golfers might one day return, Jones says Suncadia’s future is currently looking brighter than ever. “We’ve added several memberships, and new home sales continue to grow at a stellar pace,” he says. “Plus I am very confident the current demand for golf will stay strong.” Like Keener, Jones wants to remain conscious of pace of play at Suncadia, but he’s also very keen to convert some of the new, young golfers he saw in 2020 into long-time golfers that remain active in the game. “In 2021, we’ll be adding junior golf and lesson programs to keep these newcomers involved,” he says.

Giving youngsters a solid grounding and enduring foundation in the game is Evan Johnsen of the First Tee of Greater Seattle. The chapter’s Program Director since 2012, Johnsen had to get creative with scheduling in 2020 for the year not to be a total write-off. “It was obviously a trying time,” he says. “We had to reduce class sizes considerably, alter schedules, and establish a number of safety protocols to keep students, coaches, volunteers, and parents safe.”

Even in the face of these obstacles, however, Johnsen and his staff certainly pulled 2020 out of the fire and, could ultimately class the year a success. “86 percent of parents gave us five stars for Covid-prevention measures,” he says, “and 100 percent of participants said they wanted to return in 2021. I think the parents were just so pleased their kids had something to do outside the home and away from home-schooling.”

Classes for 2021 filled up fast. “Demand has been enormous,” says Johnsen. “We have 750 kids signed up between our 12 sites in King County and one in Snohomish County. We’ve had to alter our schedule again because we’re still very wary of Covid,

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but we truly believe we can be safe. And the outlook for 2021 is very rosy.”

Like Johnsen, Rick Blankenburg, 15 years an assistant professional at Bellingham Golf and Country Club (BGCC), six years the captain of the BGCC PGA Junior League team, and four years the boys’ golf coach at Meridian High School, dealt with the hurdles the pandemic threw up with aplomb. Because there were no state-wide, or even county-wide, competitions, Blankenburg had to create something specifically for the junior members at BGCC, and had 33 kids sign up. “It went really well,” he says. “The kids were just so happy to have something to get involved in. Everyone had fun. It will be interesting to see how many we retain. I’m sure we’ll lose some to other sports, but we’ll be going at it full-tilt this year with U13 and U17 teams.”

Blankenburg’s High School season will be a short seven weeks long, and all the matches will be confined to Bellingham. “We obviously need to do what’s right and adhere to recommended safety measures, but it’s a shame because we’re really building something at Meridian,” he says. “We have 25 sign-ups which is great so, whatever the season looks like, there’s going to be some good competition for places. I’m really excited about the year.”

And so is every golf-related business whose very existence depends on us being able to play our favorite game. And so is every new golfer who picked up a golf club for the first time in 2020 and discovered how great golf is and that, contrary to long-established cliches, golf isn’t an uppity rich man’s sport after all. And so is every junior golfer who just wants to get outside and play with his/her friends. And so is every veteran golfer in western Washington and beyond who’s eager to get back out on the course and establish some new record numbers.

And so, most assuredly, are we.

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Highlander GC • Wenatchee

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Win A Twosome To Highlander GC And Kahler Glen GC

e’re sending you out on Highway 2 towards Wenatchee for this 36-hole adventure. Visit Kahler Glen near Lake Wenatchee in the morning, then get back on the road and enjoy an afternoon at Highlander. Tell your buddy he can drive, since you supplied the golf. Log on to CascadeGolfer.com and click the “Enter to Win” banner for your chance to win!

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Suncadia

A Resort Destination With Everything A Golfer Desires

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he journey from the city out to Suncadia has to be among the most highly-anticipated trips any Seattle golfer can make. Well, any Seattle resident really, as the delightful mountain retreat, opened in 2003, has always provided the scenery, tranquility and golf challenge for all levels.

You’ll surely relish the 80-mile drive east along I-90.

For here, among the pines, rocks, and ridges of the Cascades eastern slope, are two of the most exquisite public-access courses the state can offer. And as the west side’s grey skies start turning blue as you crest Snoqualmie Pass and begin to drop, so those courses become increasingly appealing. In truth, you just can’t get there fast enough.

Suncadia’s first course, Prospector, was designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 2005. Throughout his design career, the King built beautiful, player-friendly courses that players can’t really help but enjoy. Prospector fits the mold perfectly. It won’t beat you up, but nor is it without its challenges. The view from the 10th tee box is perhaps the course’s most outstanding moment, but there are so many good holes and fun shots you’re more or less guaranteed four solid hours of memorable entertainment.

The second course, Rope Rider, built on the site of the

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old Roslyn Mines, was named best new course of 2011

by Golf Magazine — deserved recognition for an innovative layout that incorporates three six-hole loops. Such a configuration allows for quick rounds with the kids, which makes it the popular choice for families visiting the resort.

The course’s 7th, 8th, and 9th holes circle a 60 foothigh pile of coal slag which, unlike most tall heaps of mining waste, is covered in grass, shrubs and trees and actually forms a very cool feature of a very interesting course which was designed by Jim Hardy and popular NBC golf announcer Peter Jacobsen.

Equally cool is the fact the clubhouse and pro shop are part of the Swiftwater Cellars winery where a tomahawk steak or plate of bison short ribs washed down with a large glass of Zephyr Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon or SWC Reserve is a pretty decent way to celebrate a special round of golf.

With the Golf, Stay and Sip Package, guests get a night’s accommodation, and two rounds of golf (two rounds for one person, or a round each for two people).

If you arrive and discover you forgot your golf clubs or, more likely, a non-playing spouse wants to join you for a

game, the resort offers Titleist rental sets and they throw in a sleeve of three balls, which hopefully will get you to the 2nd hole at least. The Suncadia Golf Park, down the hill from Swiftwater Cellars, is a six-tee, three-green shortgame area that’s perfect for a pre-round tune-up and an ideal spot to finish the day with a dollars-in chip-off.

After reading all that, we’re guessing you’re anxious now to point the car towards Suncadia. Go ahead, spring’s coming. And we’re right behind you. Go to SuncadiaResort.com and open up a world of possibility.

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Grass

THE IS

Greener Superintendents are the Soul of the Soil

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BY TONY DEAR • SPECIAL TO CG

n recent years, there has been a big push to acknowledge the work of golf course superintendents. The Golf Course Superintendents Asso-

ciation of America (GCSAA) launched the ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent’ campaign in 2015 with TV cameos from Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Michelle Wie and others urging us to show our gratitude. The 95-year-old organization followed that with ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Week’ in 2017, since then it’s fair to say golfers have been significantly more aware of the talent, expertise, and dedication required to maintain a golf course.

However, we still think our superintendents in western Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest receive insufficient recognition for the work they do. So we’re going to shine a light on a few over the coming months in an effort to show how much we value their contribution to our enjoyment of the game.

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Jacob Close Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham

Photo courtesy of Carl Taylor

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arch will be a fairly significant month for Jacob Close. Not only will the Oregon native and father of two young girls turn 40, he’ll also celebrate ten years as the head superintendent at Sudden Valley GC, venue of the 1981 Washington Open. Hiring a 30-year-old to lead the maintenance effort at a genuine championship course located in a residential development with a committed golf membership could be seen as something of a gamble. But by that age, Close had already built an impressive resume.

Formative internships while earning a degree in Turfgrass Management at Oregon State University included spells at the world-renowned Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., and prestigious Waverley Golf Club in Portland. After graduation, he signed on as an assistant superintendent at the Reserve Vineyard and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore., but it wasn’t long before the family upped sticks and headed north to Seattle.

“My wife wanted to do her Masters at UW,” says Close who quickly found positions at Broadmoor and then Seattle Golf Clubs. “My time at both clubs coincided with course renovations so they were incredibly rewarding experiences.”

After arriving at Sudden Valley, Close’s top priority was to firm up playing surfaces that invariably succumbed to fall and winter rain in the worst way, often becoming saturated and sending golfers home with shin-deep mud stains. “I started sanding immediately,” says Close. “We basically apply as much sand as the club can afford every year. We started out spreading 600 tons a year, but increased that to 1,000 tons.”

The effect has been startling. Within a few years, Close had more or less transformed the fairways, which now drained considerably better than before. And the greens ran fast and true. “I’ve wanted to create stronger, healthier turf by decreasing inputs,” says Close. “That makes the turf leaner and more hungry. You hopefully end up with ground that’s firm and fast instead of soft and lush.”

Trimming the tree canopy and removing some specimens altogether has also had a marked effect on the turf, enabling course conditions to remain fairly consistent throughout the year in spite of a fairly wide range of temperatures and conditions.

Not surprisingly, 2020 was by far Close’s toughest year to date with inevitable layoffs in March and April when golf more or less came to a standstill, followed by the summer surge when he was unable to hire staff quick enough. “Thankfully, the hiring situation has settled down some,” he says, “and we’re now back up to pre-Covid staffing levels.”

Despite being a fairly low-key person, Close admits the last 10 months have tested even his equanimity. “It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster emotionally,” he says. “But 2021 is shaping up well.”

Sudden Valley Director of Golf Brian Kruhlak isn’t slow to heap praise on his colleague. “It would be impossible to overstate the effect Jacob has had on our program,” he says. ”Together we are dedicated to making Sudden Valley the absolute best it can be, and our partnership has been incredibly rewarding. He brings such an impressive skill-set and attitude to work every day, and sets a stellar example for the rest of the staff.” Kruhlak says more, a lot more, in commending Close, but finishes (almost) by saying it is thanks to him that Sudden Valley’s maintenance shed and pro shop work in harmony as a team.

“I’m obviously a huge fan,” he adds, “and really I could go on forever.”

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The nature surrounding Bellingham brings unique beauty and poses challenges.

With factors like alpine trees, ocean winds, heavy rain and Northwest wildlife, Jacob Close has done a masterful job in making Sudden Valley beautiful, serene and durable.

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Bob Pearsall Salish Cliffs Golf Club Shelton

Salish Cliffs is the world’s first golf course to be certified Salmon Safe. It’s rocketed to the top of many best course lists.

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elebrating a birthday and ten years on the job (later this year) himself is Salish Cliff’s Bob Pearsall who we think has just about done enough to earn ‘legendary’ status now. He’d certainly never consent to such a thing and, at 54, he’s still got plenty more years maintaining golf courses ahead of him if he chooses, but after growing in three western Washington courses, and being largely responsible for Salish Cliffs becoming the world’s first golf course to be certified ‘Salmon-Safe’, we think it’s a fair assessment.

Pearsall worked 13 years for Oki Golf at Indian Summer in Olympia and Hawks Prairie in Lacey before the Squaxin Island Tribe persuaded him to move 25 miles north to Shelton, the Little River Casino and its new Gene Bates-designed course that would be called Salish Cliffs.

“It took them three calls,” Pearsall remembers. “The first one, I was on vacation with my family in Oregon and just declined it. I didn’t take the second either, but remember feeling a little curious. I knew what they were going to ask, but I was very happy with Oki Golf and didn’t want to leave.”

Pearsall finally picked up a few days later when the tribe called for a third time.

“They said ‘just hear us out’ and told me they needed a superintendent ‘like three weeks

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Nationally-acclaimed superintendents from Salish Cliffs and Bandon Dunes (pictured here) are setting new environmental standards. ago’. “Turns out that although the construction company had insisted it was able to handle the grow-in as well as actually build the course, it was in a little over its head, and it quickly became apparent that someone with growin experience would be needed.

“The course was in a really poor state,” says Pearsall who arrived in June 2010. “The fairway turf was about three inches long, and the rough was out of control. First day there, I just took the company credit card and went and purchased some hand-mowers. You can’t use big heavy machinery on young turf, so we’d have to handmow everything.”

On Pearsall’s team were his brother Mike and first assistant Anton Diaz. “We’d arrive early morning, fill up with frozen water, and just head off in three different directions,” he says.

It took a lot of hard work getting the course back on track, and damage from fall/winter storms delayed progress. But Salish Cliffs was ready by late summer 2011, and eventually opened in mid-September. The course won numerous awards in its first year thanks to the quality of the Bates design and its immaculate conditioning.

In 2017, Pearsall stepped down from the superintendent role and took on a project manager position at the resort. He expanded the casino, remodeled the hotel, built a warehouse, and completed numerous other jobs. A couple of years later, he was offered the opportunity to buy a spray company in Spokane, but didn’t fancy it. Diaz was interested though and is now running a successful business throughout Eastern Washington. It meant the superintendent’s role was vacant again and Pearsall slipped right back in, eager to take on the challenge of maintaining the course again. “I always remember a mentor telling me years ago that managing a golf course in the Pacific Northwest was the hardest turf job in the country,” says Pearsall. “There’s always something happening — record rainfall, unprecedented snow, summer drought, excessive temperatures.

It’s what makes it such an interesting challenge. I love it.”

What he didn’t love, certainly, was spending 14 days out of action last summer after contracting Covid-19.

“Yeah, that was a tough time,” he says. “But Covid can’t take out a golf course superintendent. Too much to do.”

On his return to work, Pearsall was faced with the task of aerifying the greens — a tough job with a depleted staff. “I had to do all 18 myself,” he says. “It took three days.”

Like we say — legend.

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Skamania Lodge Has Exciting New Additions Opening This Summer

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BY TONY DEAR • SPECIAL TO CG

n the Fall of 2018, Ken Daugherty, General Manager of Washington’s beloved Skamania Lodge overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, contacted golf course designer Brain Costello to discuss what might be done to the resort’s Gene Mason-designed course to make it more a little more user-friendly and popular with guests. “We host both leisure and group guests,” says Daugherty. “Over the years, we found our group business — both corporate and association, wanted to be active but typically didn’t have time for 18 holes. And, leisure guests really wanted an experience that involved the whole family.”

Costello, a native Californian and principal at JMP Golf Design since 1994, has designed a number of acclaimed courses in the U.S. as well as overseas with designs in Brazil, Japan, and Korea. He was recommended for the job by Ron Mitchell, the MG2 architect who designed Skamania’s delightful tree houses and who had worked alongside Costello on several resort development projects in the past.

Daugherty was impressed with Costello’s resume. “We considered the courses he had designed, and met with him,” he says. “We thought he was a natural fit. He had

a wonderful vision for Skamania, and knew exactly how to change the course to make it challenging for existing golfers, and approachable for families and new golfers.”

Making it challenging for existing golfers was the easy part. Mason’s course not only traversed some fairly hilly ground, it was also notoriously tight with pine trees lining fairways so narrow the wayward driver was often forced to play three from the tee. Making it more time and familyfriendly was a little trickier, but Costello felt the wisest move would be to erase half the course and make nine par 3s from the holes that remained.

“It just made sense,” he says. “I asked head professional Guy Puddefoot, who’s been here since the 1993 when the course opened, which were the most enjoyable, all-star holes as I obviously wanted to incorporate them into the new design.” Costello broke ground in February of last year, creating holes ranging in length from 115 yards to 195 (from the back tees – middle and forward tee options too). Covid certainly affected progress though, meaning construction, led by Josh Peters of Verde Sports Construction, wasn’t quite complete by the time the

2021

CASCADE GOLFER MATCH PLAY

CHAMPIONSHIP

weather turned. “There’s still a few things to finish,” says Costello. “I’ll be returning sometime in March or April to get it all done ahead of the summer opening.”

The new nine-hole layout, to be called ‘The Gorge’, will obviously have a much smaller footprint than its predecessor, covering just 50 acres instead of 170. And joining it will be an 18-hole putting course named ‘Little Eagle’, which Costello believes will be a huge hit with guests.

“It has a lot of exciting contours,” he says. “We added some boulders, and there will be lights so you’ll be able to play at night. I think guests will have a really fun time there.”

Daugherty has high hopes for Skamania Lodge’s new golf amenities. “Really, it’s more than just a golf course,” he says. “We’ll have two places for guests to play in an area we’re going to call the ‘Backyard’. And in addition to the golf, there’s going to be an event site for hosting corporate and association groups as well as weddings.”

THE ROAD TO SALISH CLIFFS Matches played locally at the golf course of your choice.

• Net Based Matches.

• Open to the first 64 golfers with an active handicap.

• You choose the course and the tees.

• Matches start in May with a four week window to play.

GET INSIDE THE ROPES!

• Win a match and win a prize. Prizes only get better as you climb the bracket.

• Win three matches and advance to the Final Eight August 27th - 28th at Salish Cliffs.

For more information or to register visit

CGMatchPlay.com cascadegolfer.com

Add a little fun and competition to your 2021 golf schedule!

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PROFILES OF OUR

Follow these Washington-rooted players in 2021

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BY BOB SHERWIN • SPECIAL TO CG

hen the subject of the greatest golfer to come out of the state of Washington arises, for years, even decades, there generally has been just one answer — Fred Couples.

Growing up on Beacon Hill and learning the game at Jefferson Park, Couples won 15 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters, was once the world’s top ranked player and is a World Golf Hall of Famer.

Yet for those with a distaff preference, the name JoAnne Gunderson Carner is offered as an even more persuasive choice. Carner, who grew up in Kirkland, is a 43-time LPGA champion, also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and the only woman to win a USGA junior, Amateur and U.S. Open Championship.

It’s difficult to compare these two legends to any current Washington-based player, or any on the horizon. But while today’s players may lack that kind of quality, the state has never had as much quantity sprinkled around the various pro tours.

Here’s an update on Washington state golfing products. Our list also includes a slew of golfers that the University of Washington has produced over the past decade or so that we claim as our own.

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RYAN MOORE

38, Tacoma, UNLV

The most decorated amateur (U.S. Amateur champion, Hogan Award winner, etc.) since Tiger Woods when he turned pro in 2005.

He didn’t have the instant success of Woods as the first of his five (so far) victories didn’t come until 2009. He has 69 career top-tens, including eight seconds and five thirds.

Where Moore is most effective is cashing in, with more than $31 million in earnings in his 15-plus Tour seasons. At 38, Moore is becoming very selective on where he plays.

He declined to play any tournaments last fall then missed his first three cuts of 2021. His career still has exciting potential but it’s unclear how much he will play this year.

C.T. PAN

29, Miaoli, Taiwan, Washington How one good thing — his first PGA Tour victory at the 2019 RBC Heritage — led to another great thing — earning an invitation to the 2020 Masters, where he finished seventh. That top-ten finish automatically qualified him for a return to Augusta National in April. Pan, who led the Masters field in scrambling, has been scrambling to reconstitute his game recently, missing the first four cuts of 2021. At 29, and with nearly $7 million in earnings, he seems to be entering the wheelhouse of his career.

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PROFESSIONALS NICK TAYLOR

32, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, Washington He is the most recent winner of this group, capturing the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am a year ago. It was a wireto-wire, career-defining victory in which he took on Phil Mickelson in the final round and eventually won by two. That earned his first trip to Augusta for last November’s Masters, where he finished tied for 29th.

In the year since his Pebble win, however, Taylor has missed seven of 17 cuts with just one top 25 finish. His career is strikingly similar to Pan’s as both were UW grads who rose to No. 1 in the amateur world rankings, and who now have one PGA Tour victory and $7 million in career earnings to their name.

KYLE STANLEY

33, Gig Harbor, Clemson The 33-year-old has won twice and earned more than $16 million in prize money during his 11 years on the PGA Tour. However, after back-to-back seasons in 201718 in which he won more than $3 million each year, he struggled in 2019 finishing 103rd in the FedEx standings, and then slumped to 133rd last season, missing the playoffs. His Tour eligibility runs out this year, but his strong iron play seems to have returned. He already has won more prize money this year than in all of 2020. If his putting improves, he could be one to watch for a victory this season.

ANDRES GONZALES

37, Olympia, UNLV

His career parallels that of good friend Michael Putman. Both turned pro in 2006 and both have spent much of their professional careers on the minor circuits with occasional PGA Tour opportunities. Gonzales has still banked more than $3 million for his efforts. He earned his Tour card in 2011, 2013 and 2015, but has played the Korn Ferry Tour since.

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JOEL DAHMAN

33, Clarkson, Washington He is the highest ranked player in the world (around 70) among our distinguished NW group, yet has not yet recorded a win. He’s had a couple of second places and 12 toptens over the past five seasons. The most talented Eastern Washington golfer since Moses Lake’s Kirk Triplett (three Tour victories; $24 million in career earnings), Dahman paid his dues with seven years on the minor circuits before earning his PGA Tour card in 2017. Like his contemporaries Pan and Taylor, he also has amassed around $7 million in earnings. His strength is off the tee, but he needs to clean up around the greens to move into the world’s top 50 elite. He started slowly this season, missing four of his first ten cuts with just one top-ten finish.

ANDREW PUTNAM

32, University Place, Pepperdine He earned his PGA Tour card in 2015, lost it, and won it back in 2018 since when he has thrived. He won more than $2 million in both 2018 and 2019. In 2019 he finished fifth on Tour in putting. He followed that by finishing third in putting in 2020, but still missed nine of 16 cuts with just one top-ten finish and less than $500,000 in earnings. He has played just about every week this season with mild success. His putting stroke shows signs of returning, and if he can find his form off the tee he could break out.

MICHAEL PUTNAM

32, University Place, Pepperdine Andrew’s older brother paved the way for him both at Pepperdine and on the PGA Tour. Most of Michael’s career has been spent on the Korn Ferry Tour, with a couple of stints in the big leagues. A fractured wrist in 2011 slowed his progress, but he won back his Tour card in 2014. He made 23 of 30 cuts that season with a fourthplace finish at the RBC Canadian Open, and won nearly $900,000 in earnings. More injuries have set him back in recent years, his last PGA Tour appearance coming at the 2018 U.S. Open.

APRIL 2021

49

ENTER TO JING YAN

WIN

24, Taiwan, Washington Yan played one season at UW before turning pro in 2015 at the age of 19. She has won more than $1.15 million – including $517,000 in 2019 - in her five-plus seasons on the LPGA Tour. She has six top-ten finishes including a second in 2017 and a T4 in 2018. Last season was a struggle but, at 24, Yan is entering her prime years.

Washington has churned out other great players including Huskies Brock Mackenzie and his sister Paige, Alex Prugh, Richard Lee and Chris Williams. Their prime professional careers, however, appear to be behind them.

Seattle also has connections with two other PGA pros. Kevin Chappell, from California, married a Seattleite, Elizabeth, and lived here until last year when he moved to Arizona to be able to play all year. He was once one of the top players in the world but has been on a major medical exemption after back surgery two years ago. And Australian Cameron Davis also married a Seattle woman — Jonika. They have a place here, and he’s a member of Aldarra Country Club. The 25-year-old is considered one of the Tour’s most promising players.

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51

TREVOR SIMSBY

28, Carlsbad, Calif., Washington

Call ahead to guarantee your tee time (509) 674-2226

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APRIL 2021

Cart Rental Separate

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841 Saint Andrews Dr., Cle Elum, WA

Just about every elite professional golfer in the world came together in late February to compete for the exclusive Workday World Golf Championship event in Florida.

That exclusive 72-player field also included Trevor Simsby, a 28-year-old former University of Washington golfer, ranked 416th in the world and playing in his first ever PGA Tour event. How Simsby got into this talented and limited event is a testament to his resilience, his resourcefulness and exceptional fortuitous timing.

Simsby, who grew up in Southern California, played three years for the Huskies, turning pro in 2014. He has spent the next six years, as he says on his twitter account, “enjoying my journey to reach the PGA Tour.’’ It has been a circuitous and unrewarding journey, struggling on the Korn Ferry Tour but making just three cuts in 17 events over three years while making $5,186 in prize money. His highest finish was tied for 49th. In 2017, he played in Mexico at one PGA Tour Latinoamerica event, missing the cut.

He then ventured to the far east in 2019 to join the Asian Development Tour. That qualified him for the regular 2020 Asian Tour. Simsby played in just one Asian Tour event, the Bandar Malaysia Open, in early March last year.

It was an event limited to just 54 holes because of bad weather. Simsby won the event — his first career victory – on the second playoff hole.

That was the last Asia Tour event, as the Covid pandemic cancelled the rest of the season. Yet that was not the end for Simsby. He would wind up in Florida almost exactly one year later.

Generally, WGC events invite the world’s top 50 players, based on the World Golf Rankings. For the Workday event, the field was increased from 50 to 72 to include top qualifying players from various world tours, such as the European Tour and the Asian Tour order of merit.

Based on his lone victory, Simsby finished second in the Asian Tour’s order of merit. The top two qualified for Workday. He got in but players such as Si Woo Kim (ranked 52nd in the world), Bubba Watson (53rd), Russell Henley (54th), Matt Wallace (57th), Ian Poulter (61st), Jordan Spieth (62nd), and Rickie Fowler (65th) stayed home.

With everything to gain, Simsby made the most of his first PGA event, finishing tied for 37th. He fell to earth on the back nine Sunday with 39, but still filled his wallet with $59,000. He also made a big splash and quality TV time Saturday with the shot of the tournament, a hole-in-one on the 166-yard sixth hole at The Concession course.

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SUSTAINABLE

STYLE

T

Golf Wants You To Save The Planet — And Look Good Doing It

he moment you walk into Radmor Golf, the new boutique in Seattle’s Pioneer Square downtown district, the collection of hats, polos, sweatshirts, and jackets pops out. But you might not immediately be able to put your finger on why.

It’s all familiar, but new — like a cover song you’re starting to like more than the original.

Explaining this business venture is going to take some unpacking. Rule No. 1 when buying golf attire: Make sure your clothes function properly during a round of golf. Rule No. 2: Make sure your clothes are comfortable. Radmor has added Rules 3 and 4: Make sure they look good, and make sure they’re sustainable.

Radmor is the creation of cofounders Bob Conrad and Scott Morrison. They met as golfers on the University of Washington team in the early 1990s and became roommates and great friends shortly thereafter. Theirs

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BY MIKE KORD • SPECIAL TO CG

is the first brand in golf-specific apparel to go green. It’s a subject Conrad and Morrison have grown increasingly passionate about in recent years. “What’s ironic is that golf is one of the few sports that’s played outside in nature in really idyllic surroundings,” Morrison says.

“And yet at the same time, no one really understands that the clothes they’re wearing are destroying the earth in some way, shape, or form.”

Instead of manufactured polyester, the synthetic fabric in every golfer’s wardrobe, Radmor is opting for high-end organic cotton, recycled ocean polyester, and nylon (think abandoned fishing nets). The cotton is produced under the auspices of the Better Cotton Initiative, a global sustainability program that minimizes the use of harmful chemicals and supports better conditions for workers. Radmor also uses Extra Long Staple (ELS) Pima cotton in its clothing. These longer

fibers maintain strength and integrity – less fraying, wrinkling and fading. A shirt made of ELS cotton has fewer weak points. And when it does wear out, it will degrade in a small fraction of the time a polyester shirt will without leaching toxins. For you, that means a shirt that will look and feel good for a longer lifespan. For the environment, it means one less piece of old plastic clothing clogging a landfill or worse.

Polyester is a common plastic that was introduced as a cheaper way to make an impressive array of products, such as the computer you sit in front of, the range balls you hit, and the clothes in your closet. Being inorganic, these items won’t decompose for decades or possibly centuries.

The shirt you wore on your last round could still be lingering like the undead well into the 23rd century. A 2019 investigation by The Guardian found

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that the equivalent of 68,000 shipping containers of plastic recycling was exported from the United States to developing countries that provide cheap labor and limited environmental regulation. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast accumulation of plastic and trash between California and Hawaii, is twice the size of Texas.

Plastic is even found in the human digestive system.

“We think there’s another way,” Morrison says. “There’s something we can do a little differently and explain a little differently.”

Morrison was a redshirt sophomore from Palm Springs when Conrad showed up at UW as a promising freshman from nearby Sammamish. In a year, they would become Nos. 1 and 2 in the Husky program.

In 1993, Morrison led the Huskies in stroke average.

Conrad would take that crown for the next three years.

They were never thrilled with golf clothes. After UW, Conrad played professionally for seven years, including on the Nationwide Tour, before working in commercial real estate. Morrison moved to New York City to embark on a two-decades-long career in the denim industry.

Over time, Morrison realized the harm the clothing industry was doing to the environment. Greater demand meant more frequent shipping cycles, cheaper products, and micro-fiber shedding — the process by which our clothes deteriorate and work their way into everything: our lungs, our oceans, even our food.

Morrison’s young son, Leo, was diagnosed with Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome — an extremely rare neurological disorder — in 2017. Morrison started Leo’s Lighthouse Foundation, a nonprofit committed to supporting children living with BRS. Conrad was organizing a benefit tournament at Overlake Golf Club in Medina when he and Morrison revisited their college musings of starting their own apparel brand, only this time with a newfound disdain for the harm caused by synthetic clothing. “I just started joking around — why don’t we do this golf company thing we were talking about 25 years ago?” Conrad says. “During those conversations and doing research into the golf market, it was like, no one’s talking about sustainability.”

Humor is often underappreciated for its ability to inspire. What started out as a passing quip spurred a series of meetings, texts and phone calls. They raised some money, Morrison moved back to the Seattle area with his family, and Radmor was born. Sustainability wasn’t the only topic up for discussion, though. “Back in college we talked about making clothes with super high-end cottons and really nice materials,” Conrad says.

“Comfortable clothes you could wear playing golf, to work, on a date, and that just looked cool. You wouldn’t look like, you know, a golfer.” And then it becomes clear — Conrad had just scored a line between Radmor’s brick-and-mortar displays and the land of misfit clothes

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Scott (left) and Bob at their new Pioneer Square Radmor HQ.

“I just started joking around — why don’t we do this golf company thing we were talking about 25 years ago?” Conrad says.

“During those conversations and doing research into the golf market, it was like, no one’s talking about sustainability.”

APRIL 2021

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Radmor’s style modernizes the traditional without going overboard.

You won’t look like the 12-year-old grom at the skatepark, but you won’t look like 1970s Jack Nicklaus, either.

that golf shops have been for decades.

Radmor’s style modernizes the traditional without going overboard. You won’t look like the 12-year-old grom at the skatepark, but you won’t look like 1970s Jack Nicklaus, either. That’s why this shop is different. “The shirts have some of the youthful qualities we want, but we could see our Dads wearing them too,” Conrad says.

“And they’d love them. They might not care as much about the sustainability side, but they’ll know they’re getting a classic, high-quality shirt.”

Morrison is influential on design and collaborates with a designer in Los Angeles who consults on colors, stripes and prints. “At the end of the day, we’re all consumers, right?” Morrison says. “You have to say ‘I like it. I like the way it looks. I like the way it fits. I could see me buying this regardless of the sustainability piece’.”

Morrison takes a swig from a can of Bodhizafa, and addresses the Titleist 2 in front of him on No. 4 at Pebble Beach. “Beautiful ocean to the right,” Conrad narrates.

“Well, except for the plastic.” Thwack! – Morrison drives a tee shot onto the fairway. The store also features a Full Swing golf simulator. Passersby watch the store’s occupants play a hole or two through the front window, wave, and go on their way. Radmor is finding its home in Pioneer Square, a reminder of the city’s uproarious past and a promising signal of what’s ahead.

The district was established in the 1850s and gained a reputation for its roughnecks, drunks, and miners stopping off en route to Alaska. The brothels, historians say, were legendary. It has lived to see the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the Great Depression, and two pandemics.

It’s gritty, but with a distinctly urbane ethos. Pioneer Square is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and renowned for a mix of shops, bars, and restaurants that indulge locals and tourists alike. You can

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cascadegolfer.com

Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham’s Hidden Gem

buy a pair of waxed leather shoes for $800, a bone-in ribeye for $80, or a cherry Slurpee for $2.95. Its charm endures. “Bob and I have been coming down here throughout most of our adult lives,” Morrison says. “We knew we wanted the shop to be downtown. We like the history of it, we love the legacy of it.”

The problem on this winter day in early 2021 isn’t a rampant fire. It’s a worldwide virus. Weeks after going into business, factories were shut down and supply lines anchored with a suddenness neither of them had seen in their careers. The rhythm of the downtown retail core has slowed.

Perhaps no sport presents its participants with as much anguish as golf. Every golfer knows the feeling of walking off a green in utter frustration. This time for good, they’ll say, only to rejuvenate upon the next birdie, fairway rocket, or sand save. No strangers to the resiliency golf — and business — demand, Conrad and Morrison have used the global slowdown as a chance to regroup, reset expectations, and ultimately refine their collections. “It’s given us some time to reflect on exactly how we want to present our line,” Conrad says. “And I think we’re making a much better shirt than we would have if we’d launched in August like we’d originally planned.”

Golfers can buy Radmor attire at the store, online (www.radmorgolf.com) and at high-end pro shops.

The store is a short walk to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, where the Seahawks, Sounders and Mariners draw several million fans per year. You wouldn’t have to be a golfer to stop in and admire the clothes.

The pandemic will subside. Sports fans will return.

Pioneer Square will draw its usual assemblage of foodies, art walkers, and tourists. “We want Seattle to return to glory,” Conrad says. “And we want to be a part of it.”

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For tee times and best rates visit our website at

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57

SAVE SOME GREEN Great Looper Insights That Save Some Green All Year Here

O

f all the departments in this magazine, this is the one we hear about the most because it’s the one that appeals to everyone. We promise, as always, to keep bringing you super snapshots of golf courses everywhere in the great state of Washington.

Save Some Green is not just about the most inexpensive courses — it’s a tool for you to learn about great value, offers and serves as a gentle reminder of a place maybe you might have forgotten about.

This month is no different as we outline three Evergreen State faves in The Classic down in south King County and two jewels just below the B.C. border with Loomis Trail and Sudden Valley. These are true Northwest tracks and bring a different slant on golf spring, summer and fall.

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The Northwest Golfers Playbook has 120 different offers from courses in Washington and Oregon — just like two of the three tracks covered here in Save Some Green. Buy it today at CascadeGolfer.com.

The Classic Golf Club • Spanaway

1

The Classic Golf Club SPANAWAY

Spring is here, and in the Northwest that means the rain is slowing down and you’re about to get your golf season underway. If you are looking for a top-quality course with a rate that will accommodate your wallet, The Classic Golf Club in Spanaway is an excellent choice.

“One of Washington’s best kept secrets” is the opening line on its website, but we will let you in on it. With tall evergreens marking its beautiful landscape, the Classic is a gem. Affordable regular rates and twilight discounts earned The Classic a place in this issue’s list of deals.

The Classic boasts a rolling landscape featuring natural ponds, well-kept greens, and some fine bunkering. Although playable for golfers of every level, there are four holes of over 500 yards where seasoned players can flex their muscles, as well as four excellent par 3s that feature a mix of hazards, like the large pond fronting the green at the 133-yard 8th hole.

Before you tee off, or if you need to blow off some steam after a bad round, head to the practice facility, complete with putting green, range, and short-game area. With a junior rate of just $15, parents and grandparents should bring their youngsters along for a game.

And because many students are still completing school

classes online, getting out on the course with family is a great way to spend time away from the screen.

Starting April 1 (Mon.-Thurs. and after noon), a four-ball pays just three greens fees. Just mention the ad on in this issue when you book your tee time. You can book tee times over the phone, or use the club’s easy to navigate online booking tool.

General Manager and Head Professional Joe Beach shares that the Classic is a worthy destination for your and your golf buddies. “It’s a great golf course with great customer service,” he says. “We’re friendly here and love welcoming golfers who have played here before and those visiting for the first time.”

And, the most exciting Classic news for 2021? They changed the 9th hole from a par 5 to an exciting short risk-reward par 4. Let us know your thoughts and go for it!

— Lily Stephens, Special to CG

YARDAGE (PAR) 4,646-6,903 (72/74) RATES $29-$55 TEL (253) 847-4440 WEB theclassicgc.com * Check website for current rates

YOUR The Classic & Sudden Valley Twosomes plus a Northwest Golfers Playbook

A

Sudden Valley G.C. • Bellingham

s much as we love telling you about how great The Classic and Sudden Valley are, it is even better to send you there. Let us know how the new 9th at The Classic is, as well as how Lake Whatcom looked from the 5th green at Sudden Valley. Plus we’ve got a Northwest Golfers Playbook which includes offers to over 100 Northwest courses. Obviously, we’re banking on your 2021 being filled with a ton of golf. Enter to win today at CascadeGolfer.com.

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APRIL 2021

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Add a round to Kahler Glen to any of your Central Washington Golf Road Trip!

• Conveniently located off Hwy 2, just 2 hours from Seattle • Aqua driving range • New 5 star onsite restaurant • Great Stay and Play Package Available

www.kahlerglen.com

APRIL 2021

59

“It’s worth the drive — best value in the NW” The Seattle Times

SAVE SOME GREEN Sudden Valley • Bellingham

Public Facility With Country Club Amenities

18-hole championship course 9-hole executive course Driving Range & Practice Center High Cedars Golf Academy Footgolf Advanced Tee Times Recommended 2021 Junior Golf Camps begin June 22nd Ladies Golf Lessons & Wine Tasting

HIGH CEDARS GOLF CLUB

14604 149th St. Ct. E. • Orting, WA 98360

(360) 893-3171 • highcedars.com 60

APRIL 2021

2

Sudden Valley Golf Course BELLINGHAM

The view of Lake Whatcom from the green at Sudden Valley’s 5th hole is breathtaking as the (hopefully blue) sky and surrounding hills reflecting on the water allow you to forget your score if only for a moment. The 1971 Ted Robinson design is one of a collection of fine courses in Bellingham, a city known for its striking views, unique culture, impressive beer scene, and outdoor recreation. A perfect escape from the bustle of Seattle, Bellingham is just 90 minutes away, due north on I-5.

Host of the 1981 Washington Open and 2019 Washington State Women’s Amateur, Sudden Valley is a genuine championship course whose front nine covers some fairly flat ground down by the lake but where the back nine climbs a ridge, moves into dense forest and provides an entirely different challenge.

The best part? It’s very affordable. In April, the weekend rate for 18 holes is just $55. And if you’re looking for an even better deal, the course offers twilight and super twilight rates at amazing prices. For extras savings and specials keep your eye out for enter-to-win deals on the course’s website.

What could be better than a spring/summer weekend jaunt to Bellingham with a twilight teetime on a long solstice eve? Before arriving at the course, maybe hit up Bellingham’s great restaurant scene for lunch. I recommend Pel’Meni for amazing Russian dumplings, Fat Pie for really excellent pizza, and Boundary Bay Brewery for hearty food and superb local brews. Another benefit of arriving at the course late in the day is the opportunity to enjoy the sunset over Lake Whatcom. When your round wraps up, head into the clubhouse grill and enjoy a beer, feeling good about playing an incredibly beautiful course while saving some green.

— Lily Stephens, Special to CG

YARDAGE (PAR) 4,705-6,553 (72) RATES $28-$55, *rates update in May. TEL (855) 506-2219 WEB suddenvalleygolfcourse.com * Check website for current rates

cascadegolfer.com

Loomis Trail Golf • Blaine

3

Loomis Trail Golf BLAINE

With so many great courses across the region, it’s easy to overlook some of the gems a little farther afield. But if you’re willing to put in a few more miles, Loomis Trail Golf in Blaine, is one of those well worth the effort for a fabulous day or overnight getaway.

Loomis Trail has been a fixture in the various rankings of the top public courses in the state for years (including Golf Digest’s top spot in 2005). And, as you head out towards the woods on the opening tee shot in the shadow of the distinct Tudor clubhouse, you quickly discover why.

Loomis Trail has a special feel, from the serene parkland setting with canals, streams and ponds across the property to the country club-like conditions and exceptional variety of holes. From tee to green, the course puts a premium on shot making. Doglegs abound, the green complexes are diverse and challenging, and water comes into play on nearly every hole. Standouts include the par 5 2nd. It’s a true three-shotter for everyone but the longest hitters. A meandering stream teases you up the right side, while your approach is guarded by one of the numerous ponds you’ll find throughout the course.

Perhaps the most memorable hole is the split-fairway, par 5 11th. The safe play is taking your drive out to the right over the creek with room to spare before your third shot.

But long hitters can try and carry the water through a chute of trees up the left side for a chance to reach the challenging green complex in two. And yes, there’s more water just to the right of the green adding to the test.

When it comes to value, Loomis Trail is hard to beat.

Winter green fees are just $40 seven days a week (through April), while the club offers a great deal all year long with its XXIO Primetime Package: every day after noon play 18 holes with cart and get a sleeve of XXIO balls for $45 (check website for details).

Loomis Trail also makes for a great overnight getaway and with the Canadian border still closed, that means more tee time slots are open than ever before. Take advantage of the great stay and play packages at the partner Silver Reef Casino, which like the course is owned and operated by the Lummi Nation. Tee it up during the day, then play all night.

— Josh Kerns, Special to CG

Start your season off with

2 Great Spring Events

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YARDAGE (PAR) 5,713-7,137 (72) RATES $30-$70* TEL (360) 332-1725 WEB GolfLoomis.com * Check website for current rates

2021 Two Person Best Ball Saturday May 1 • 9am Shotgun

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WhidbeyGolfClub.com • (360) 675-5490 2430 SW Fairway Lane, Oak Harbor WA 98227 APRIL 2021

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P R ESENTED BY

Thanks For The Memories — You Always Remember Your First

W

hile I certainly can’t remember the first time I ever picked up a golf club — my Dad used to love showing off a picture of me swaddled in baby clothes, no older than a year, with a tiny plastic golf club in my hands and a (mercifully unlit) cigar in my mouth — I can definitely remember plenty of my other golfing firsts. At nine, I won my club junior putting championship — my first (and, other than a repeat victory the following year, last) taste of golf glory. At 11, I made my first birdie. At 31, I finally broke 90 on a par-72 (thank you, Cedars at Dungeness). At 33, I birdied four holes in the same round for the first and only time — and still shot 91. And, of course, I’ll never forget my first eagle … actually, wait, that last one never happened. Oh, well … there’s a first to look forward to still.

And I vividly remember my very first issue of Cascade Golfer. It wasn’t Issue No. 1 — no, I arrived in time for Issue No. 3, in April 2008, which included features on Chambers Bay being awarded the U.S. Open, junior golf opportunities in the region, and a profile of golf business mogul Scott Oki. It had a few good reads, but the impression it left on me at the time was, “People are counting on you; you need to get better at this.” Hopefully, I did.

Yes, firsts are easy to appreciate. Lasts, though … lasts you sometimes don’t see coming.

My Dad flew out to visit in May of 2013, and I took him to Snohomish Golf Course. I didn’t swing the club particularly well, but he gave me a few tips (as he, a former ASU Sun Devil and single-digit handicapper into his late 70s, was apt to do) and then flew back to his home in Sacramento a day later. It was the last round we’d ever play together.

And, last November, I edited my last issue of Cascade Golfer.

It wasn’t totally out of the blue. I’ve been pursuing a Master’s in elementary education for the past couple of years. The most influential person in my life was a teacher — Janet Wendt of Monument, Colo. — who fostered in me a love of writing and a dedication to the craft that has

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By Brian Beaky • CG Editor • 2008-20 shaped everything I have accomplished since. For almost 15 years, I’ve felt a pull to pass on that gift. In November — about 10 months earlier than expected — that opportunity finally arose.

To pursue that dream, though, meant leaving behind this one. It would be easy if Cascade Golfer were just a magazine to me, but it’s not.

It’s Dick Stephens, whose relentless energy and vision brought it to life, and who gave me the chance to be its caretaker for the last 12 years. Dick’s faith and trust carried me for over a decade, and I’m sure they will for whomever is lucky enough to take over this role.

It’s Kirk Tourtillotte, whose steady hand on the tiller has helped Cascade Golfer succeed where so many other print publications have failed. Kirk has the heart of a lion, and everyone who is around him feels his love.

It’s Rob Becker, whose graphic art and creative design skills bring the words we write and pictures we collect to life. Rob is the most talented art director I’ve had the privilege to work with, and I am glad the magazine remains in his hands.

It’s Bobbi Kramer and Pam Titland, whose business acumen keeps the lights on, and whose wise counsel in difficult times meant more than they’ll ever know.

It’s Simon Dubiel with whom I planned almost every single editorial piece, big and small, that has appeared in this magazine for the past 12 years — often while waiting on a tee box somewhere in Western Washington. More than any of us, Simon has made this community what it is. And, he made this a place I wanted to come to every day. I’ll miss our camaraderie most of all.

It’s also incredible writers like Tony Dear, Bob Sherwin, Steve Kelley, Jim Moore, Craig Smith and others who have lent their byline to Cascade Golfer over the years, and photographers like Rob Perry, who provided so many of the images we’ve used. It’s the hundreds of golf course staff members manning pro shops and caddyshacks, operating lawnmowers, and leading offices around the state, who have worked alongside us

to help grow the game in our corner of the world. It’s the PGA and LPGA Tour pros, golf course architects and other local celebrities who are always willing to pick up the phone and contribute their thoughts on our local golf scene. It’s the CG Cup regulars whose faces I look forward to seeing each spring at the golf show and tournament series. You are all more than just clients or customers — you are our friends.

And, it’s the thousands who write us letters, comment on our social media pages, call our office, or say hello out in public and let us know what you think of the magazine. Every time someone told me they used the magazine to plan a golf trip, or found a new favorite course from one of our recommendations, or fell in love with a product we featured, or saved a few bucks, or even just played a little more, or a little better, thanks to our advice, it truly made my day.

When I look at an issue of Cascade Golfer, I see all of that — all of you — in every page. And, that’s why it so hard to walk away.

Cascade Golfer has brought me some of the best memories of my professional life — interviewing my childhood idol, Edgar Martinez; sharing mai tais and poetry in a Kauai dive bar with Robert Trent Jones, Jr.; playing 88 holes in one day at Avalon; epic (some might say idiotic) one-day road trips to Wine Valley, Palouse Ridge, Gamble Sands and other far-flung locales; being among the first to play Rope Rider and Gamble Sands, months before they opened; spreading my dad’s ashes on the ninth tee box at Chambers Bay in May 2015; and, thinking of him a month later as I traversed the course’s hills and slopes for four epic days as the entire golf world looked on.

I will never be able to say thank you enough to everyone, so instead I will say that to be this magazine’s editor, and to see it thriving as the centerpiece of this incredible community, has been an absolute joy. Every single person reading this has helped make that possible, and I will be forever grateful for all that you have given me.

I still would have liked to have made an eagle, though. cascadegolfer.com